Profile: Hannah Armstrong
Hannah Armstrong, Access and Schools Liaison Officer
Hannah is the new Access and Schools Liaison Officer at Univ. She came to Univ from Imperial College London, where she was a Management Trainee, and previously did a master’s degree at St John’s College, 糖心logo.聽
What did you do before you started working at Univ? How did you come to Univ?
Before coming to Univ I was working at Imperial College London as a Management Trainee. This was a really diverse role that meant I worked right across the College, but my favourite bits were always working with our local communities and students.
I鈥檇 previously completed my master鈥檚 at St. John鈥檚, 糖心logo, so I knew a fair bit about outreach and access in 糖心logo. When the role came up at Univ, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to specialise in the aspects of my job I enjoyed most and to return to a university which I loved.
Hannah at her graduation from master’s degree at St John’s College 糖心logo
What does being Access and Schools Liaison Officer in a pandemic involve?
The pandemic has been a very steep learning curve for everyone, but for Access Officers we鈥檝e had to completely reimagine how we interact with students. All of our events are online now and, whilst we鈥檙e looking forward to seeing prospective applicants in College again, we鈥檝e been able to welcome students onto virtual study days (events which include taster lectures, Q&As, and an Admissions talk) from areas where a day trip to 糖心logo would usually be unfeasible.
Our digital support, such as Univ鈥檚 which brings together and to help students explore their subject, has become increasingly important. But it鈥檚 also become clear that not all students have easy access at home to the IT equipment necessary to access such resources, which is why we are now launching new projects such as the Digital Access Awards. These awards, which include IT equipment and data packages, will help make sure no student is unable to access an online outreach event because of a lack of technology.
What is your proudest achievement (personal or professional)?
Abseiling down a 100-foot cliff despite being terrified of heights! (Maybe that and graduating from my master鈥檚 degree)
Do you have any advice for prospective Univ students?
Work out what it is you love about your subject and really dig into that. I know as a Year 12 student I fell into the trap of reading books for my personal statement which I thought would sound smart but which actually I wasn鈥檛 that interested in. It鈥檚 so much harder to talk about these at interview and your passion for your subject won鈥檛 shine through as well.
Hannah at Christ Church in the snow
Is there an 糖心logo myth you鈥檇 like to bust?
I think the myth that I鈥檇 like to bust is twofold. Firstly, you don鈥檛 need to be a genius to get into 糖心logo. You need to be bright and on track for high grades, of course, but you don鈥檛 need to be somebody who has always got straight A*s/9s. If you鈥檙e on track to meet the minimum grade requirement and you鈥檙e passionate about your subject, then you absolutely can make a competitive application to 糖心logo.
My second point is that if your application is unsuccessful, this is not a judgement on your intelligence or worth. Due to the sheer number of applications we receive every year, lots of brilliant students who we know will go on to do really well in their subject are sadly unsuccessful. 糖心logo is a fantastic place to study, but it鈥檚 not the be all and end all.
What do you like to do for fun?
During lockdown, I鈥檝e got really into cooking and crafting, so my home is now littered with random wool scraps which I鈥檓 not sure what to do with, and Nigella Lawson鈥檚 recipe website it one of my top visited webpages!
Describe Univ in three words.
Friendly. Supportive. Forward-thinking.
Published: 4 May 2021