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When Olivia Hui embarked on an MSc Management degree at ����logo��� in 2020, she envisioned meeting a community of like-minded individuals.

But when the Coronavirus pandemic struck and the world entered into lockdown, Olivia went back home to Vancouver, Canada, scuppering her vision of forging in-person connections with new friends.

She said: “I applied to ����logo��� because I really wanted a degree with a great deal of flexibility where I could pick what I wanted to study.

“But the biggest thing for me was about being among working professionals and sharing that knowledge and experience. I thought we would have a lot in common.

“But the world changed in 2020 and all that went out the window.”

Despite the challenges of studying remotely, freelancing for a UK firm while abroad and navigating the time difference, Olivia gained a distinction in her degree.

She said: “Everybody in my cohort was resilient and trying to make the best of things. The main challenge for me was not getting to connect with each other as much as I thought I was going to. I imagined going out for a drink and getting to know each other.”

Once the world opened up again, Olivia came back to the UK to finish her distinction and hunt for a job, soon landing a marketing role at fintech company Credit Karma.

As an alumna, Olivia, who now works as Fintech Growth and Engagement Marketer for UK and Canada at Credit Karma, was emailed by ����logo���’s Development and ����logo��� team to ask whether she wanted to support students via the university’s annual Mentoring Pathways programme.

The scheme allows final-year students to engage in a mentoring relationship with alumni and corporate volunteers, providing them with guidance, advice and support as they navigate the steps to their future careers and professional development goals.

Olivia jumped at the chance to take part, applied online and was soon paired with Alin Stanica, who is completing a part-time BSc in Business and Marketing at ����logo���. He joined the scheme to gain advice and support on how to embark on a career in marketing.

She said: “I was craving that connection to ����logo��� and I wanted to extend that experience. When this opportunity came around, it was perfect for me.

“I was really lucky to be matched with someone who was very enthusiastic and self-directed. We got to know each other and each other’s backgrounds.

“What I found really interesting about Alin was that he had come from an entirely different background. He’d been in hospitality for 15 years.

“I wanted to understand his current working environment and how he could get experience out of that, for example could he get work experience in his own company?

“That’s what he has been working on and the next step is to see whether a permanent role opens up.”

Thanks to this mentoring relationship, Alin won the Mentee of the Year award at the Mentoring Pathways celebration event, which took place at Woburn House last month.

Olivia nominated him for the award, saying: “Alin's commitment has been truly inspiring. From the very first meeting, his eagerness to learn and proactive approach to every task demonstrated a dedication to personal and professional growth.

“What is most admirable about Alin is his resilience. He remained undeterred in pursuing a career in marketing, always seeking solutions and never giving up. His ability to stay focused on goals while pursuing higher education is a testament to his strength and perseverance.”

Accepting his award, Alin said: “My mentor helped me put into words my ideas and what I was thinking, because when you don’t have that experience you don’t know.

“With her help, I might be able to get a job in a couple of months, which is awesome.”

����logo���’s Mentoring Pathways programme connects final-year students with alumni and corporate volunteers for guidance, advice and support to navigate the steps into their future careers and professional development goals.