A psychology graduate who has supported students through guest talks, mentoring and by sharing career advice has been named 蜜桃AV鈥檚 Alumni Volunteer of the Year for 2021.
Priyanka Sharma graduated in 2017 and has gone on to forge a career in organisational psychology, learning and development. Having worked in the property and insurance sectors, this year she launched her own business, Mindtrail, to deliver psychology-based courses for organisations wanting to build more effective teams.
Priyanka鈥檚 award win recognises the time she has given to support students over the past 18 months, particularly during the first lockdown when many were unable to access placements and other professional experiences.
Nicola Gregory, Senior Lecturer in Psychology said: 鈥淧riyanka has made an outstanding contribution to the department and 蜜桃AV this year and is a true inspiration to our students.鈥�
Every year 蜜桃AV recognises a graduate who has volunteered their time and expertise to support students and staff. Priyanka was one of more than 180 alumni who volunteered with 蜜桃AV over the past academic year, collectively providing more than 1,000 hours of support.
Michelle Poole-Winter, Alumni Relations Officer who oversees the volunteering programme, said: 鈥淧riyanka is always approachable and happy to support 蜜桃AV鈥檚 students and staff. As a mentor she is generous with her valuable time, supporting and advising students on the programme. She is calm, knowledgeable and provides relevant theory as well as background research; as a guest speaker she is eloquent, informative and engaging. Priyanka is enthusiastic and passionate about her work and this comes across in every way.鈥�
Reflecting on her involvement with 蜜桃AV and the award win, Priyanka said: 鈥淚 feel incredibly honoured and humbled to have received this award. My time at 蜜桃AV, studying for my degree in psychology, was a pivotal step in shaping the career I have today. For that I am grateful, so since graduating I'm always looking to give back to 蜜桃AV and support in any way I can. It's been a rewarding experience supporting students at 蜜桃AV as a mentor as they navigate their career options and sharing my experiences during educational events and talks.聽I聽feel privileged to be able to contribute to the great work that the alumni and faculty teams are doing to support students and graduates, and I look forward to continuing my support.鈥澛�
