More than 40 Criminology and Social Science Undergraduates took part in a speed networking event in the grandeur of RHUL’s Picture Gallery on 3 March. They were joined by five special guests – four of them also RHUL alumni - all generously sharing their advice and careers experiences in this ‘speed’ networking session. Students met Rob Vacca, an Inspector in the Met, Lillian Smith of HMP Wandsworth, Helen Hallett from the charity the Village Centre, Aiman Shahzad of the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (NCCMH) at the Royal College of Psychiatrists and Head of Service for Localities Adult Social Care, Sadia Chaudri.
Alumni Join Students for Big Speed Networking Event
Once guests were seated at their own round table, a group of students joined them for fifteen minutes of intense chat and questions, before the sound of a ‘gong’ was the sign to move tables. After 75 minutes of high-speed discussion, it was time for students and guests to have a break, grab a drink and some food, and begin the real networking, amidst the Royal Holloway art collection, (featuring works by William Powell Frith, and John Everett Millais).
Criminology undergraduates were able to talk to Inspector Vacca about how his 2005 Classics degree led to work for the Met in hostage and crisis negotiation, as well as counter-terrorism. Meanwhile Lillian Smith explained her path from Royal Holloway into the Prison Service. Lillian graduated in the summer of 2018 and began her career with HMP Wandsworth as a Prison Officer She initially worked across the detox and segregation units and is now a Custodial Manager. She told students she loves her job, and to "Choose a career that truly speaks to your core values, something that genuinely matters to you, even if it takes you in a different direction than you first imagined. The most fulfilling paths are often the ones guided by purpose, not just plans.” This was a message echoed by Helen Hallett from the charity the Village Centre, based in nearby Englefield Green, and by Sadia Chaudri who graduated from the MSc Social Work in 2014. Sadia told students, “Great opportunities start at Royal Holloway!”
Aiman Shahzad, now Project Manager at the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (NCCMH) at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, graduated with a first-class BSc in Social Sciences in 2023. She told students, “Never downplay the impact you have the potential to make.Own your story, your lived experiences aren't barriers, they're strengths. Trust yourself, you deserve to grow and lead. You will make it!”
Student feedback shows undergraduates are already taking this advice to heart. One second-year undergraduate in Criminology and Psychology said she would now explore volunteering, “not only to gain experience- but also to meet a variety of people, make a positive change/difference in my community whilst also learning more about myself”. A first year on the same course said she had learned the importance of “passion in the field you’re working towards and also to put yourself forward, to not sit in the sidelines and expect opportunities to land on your lap.”
Undergraduate criminologists were also joined by Head of the RHUL Law School, which is also home to Criminology, Social Work and Social Sciences, Professor Konstantinos Alexandris Polomarkakis, by Dean of the Faculty for Law and Business, Professor Christos Tsinopoulos. Students could also explore future discounted study at RHUL with MSc programme leads Dr. Stefan Brown (social work) and Dr. Anthony Richards (terrorism studies), Professor Matthew Humphreys (Law) and Sarah Pooley (University of Law).
Employability Lead Dr Robert Blakey and MSc Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Studies Lecturer Dr Elizabeth Pearson co-organised the event.
