Alumni Stories

The two-year degree model, small class sizes and a beautiful, rural campus were what first put Buckingham on my radar. I was eager to have a full university experience, but I wanted to achieve my qualification as quickly as possible.

The excellent lecturers, with their passion and commitment to their students, helped me achieve my goal of gaining my degree in the desired two-year window. But although the degree was intense, Buckingham wasn’t all work. I met some incredible people from all over the world, one of my favourite memories is having a full Indian feast with my Kashmiri friends in a room the size of a cupboard! I was also lucky to help lead a tour of US universities with the University rugby team (although we only managed to play two games because of poor weather).

After many years working around the world, I am now settled back home in Hay on Wye in the Welsh Marches and am currently working as Governor of the Royal Ballet School, Trustee of Michael Morpurgo’s Farms for City Children and my main position is as CEO of National Trust Cymru.

I have run National Trust Cymru for the past 10 years. It is a fabulous charity with 850 employees and 4000 volunteers that looks after the most beautiful places in Wales. Walking in the mountains and along the coastline of Wales is a definite perk of my job, but I also love meeting some of the 4 million people who come to our free outdoor spaces and 1.6 million who come to our amazing houses, castles and gardens each year. As a result of my work, I have won numerous awards. These include awards for my documentaries on the environment and culture, an honorary MA degree for services to the Arts, and most recently an OBE in the 2021 Queens Birthday Honours List for services to the natural and historic environment in Wales.

Having a Law degree from The University of Buckingham gave me the opportunity to spend time working in Law firms in both the US and the UK. It is now over 30 years since I graduated with my LLB and I would never have imagined my career taking the turn that it did. When I decided to step away from the traditional Law path, the skills I had learnt at Buckingham gave me the confidence to believe I could achieve anything.

Originally from a small town in India called Mandya, I studied Master of Science at The University of Buckingham in 2011 and Doctor of Medicine from 2012 to 2013. I initially chose Buckingham because of the shorter duration of the course. However, whilst studying I discovered several other perks of doing a degree at The University of Buckingham, such as flexibility, diversity and opportunities for individuals to explore and grow. I have many fond memories of my studies and I love that we were encouraged to have fun whilst learning.

I am now based in Birmingham, UK, working as a Welcome Trust Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham and an Honorary Specialist Registrar in diabetes, endocrinology and general internal medicine at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. My job can be split into three parts: academically, as part of my clinical research fellowship, I am pursing a PhD on how androgen activation in adipose tissue impacts glucose and lipid metabolic phenotype in PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). Clinically, I lead the DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis) Registry initiative to bring uniformity to the care of people with DKA in the West Midlands by learning best practices from one another. In regards to Medical education, I lead SIMBA (Simulation via Instant Messaging-Birmingham Advance) and CoMICs (Concise Medical Information Cines).

I love that my job allows me to explore my passion for academic research, improving care provided to people and medical education with no limitations.

In 2018 I was awarded the Quincentennial lectureship for West Midlands for my work on DKA in 2018 and in 2020 I was awarded the Turner-Warwick Lectureship for West Midlands for my work on SIMBA; both by the Royal College of Physicians London. I was also conferred the John Munro Award for excellence in teaching by the Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh. I feel Buckingham has played a big part in my success, initially because my degrees from The University of Buckingham were instrumental in getting shortlisted for my current job, but also because I learnt a great deal of academic science during my MSc which has helped me to further build my career and gain recognition for my work.

I was first interested in The University of Buckingham because of the two year degree programme, I wanted to get my degree as quickly as I could. I chose to study the LLB in Law and arrived on campus in October 1991. The LLB course gave me a strong concept of understanding fundamental law principals and set the foundations for my various career ventures. What I cherish most about my time at Buckingham is the many lifelong friendships I made with fellow students from around the globe. The University has such a diverse and interesting network of alumni.

My career path didn’t follow that of a typical LLB graduate. Since completing my degree, I have directed and produced over 40 television commercials as well as award-winning short and feature films. My feature film ‘Sorted’ enjoyed worldwide success and in 2002 I was featured in a prime-time television series on Channel 4 (UK) called Movie Virgins.

In addition to my work in television, I am also a published author. My latest novel ‘I am Cyrus’ has sold worldwide and recently reached the bestseller list in Iran.

I am currently based in the UK, just outside London near Ascot. I am working as an independent consultant for business development as well as recently founding MyTree, a new carbon trading platform designed to make users profitably carbon neutral. I love that I am growing a company that I believe has the potential to have a real impact on climate change.

My life since The University of Buckingham shows that having a degree gives you great knowledge and the foundation to build your career. However, the subject you study doesn’t have to tie you in to a specific path. Knowledge is power and you have the power to design your own future.

You can read more about my work with MyTree here:  https://mytree.org.uk/carbon-offset/

I am offering my fellow Buckingham alumni a 50% discount off one tree to encourage you all to start your journey to becoming carbon neutral. Simply enter "BUCKS" at the checkout to receive your discount.  50% is only available via the app. It's free to download in the AppStore and google play.

The app is called MyTreeApp:

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/mytree-app/id1552345367

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mytree.mytree

I started looking at universities when I was in my mid-twenties. As a mature student, The University of Buckingham stood out from the crowd because of its short two year course length – I was keen to complete a degree quickly and that was an imperative factor in my decision making. Buckingham certainly fit the bill perfectly.

I loved student life at Buckingham. The sporting opportunities were great, (I was involved in both Rugby and Polo), and the small group seminars were so engaging and effective. However, it was the interesting people I met within Buckingham’s diverse staff/student community that made my experience particularly memorable.

Since graduating from The University of Buckingham in 2016, I’ve worked as an Analyst for a private equity firm and a boutique Asset Manager for a sustainably focused fund. I’m now based in Parsons Green, London and working as an Investment Research Analyst at Buck plc. My role includes reviewing how fund managers and their products perform, how they’re run and whether they incorporate sustainability into their investment process. I love the fact that my input and research has a direct and positive impact on how people’s pensions are invested.

Without my degree from The University of Buckingham in Accounting and Financial Management, my chances of securing my current role (or any of my previous roles) would have been dramatically reduced. It has definitely given me a great foundation of financial knowledge to build upon within each of the jobs I’ve held since graduating.

Hoping to become a qualified teacher, I came across the School of Education at The University of Buckingham. Buckingham had a great reputation and offered a highly regarded teaching qualification which allowed me to study and train as a teacher whilst working in a school at the same time. I was able to experience being a teacher during term time, work on reading and coursework, and then attend the lectures and contact modules during the school holidays. I was always well supported by my tutor and it was fantastic to mix with a large group of friendly, like-minded people who I was able to share experiences with, and relax with when not studying.

After completing my PGCE I worked as a Geography Teacher at a secondary school in Yorkshire for two years, before leaving to work as a Luxury Travel Consultant specialising in Europe. The travel industry was hit hard by COVID-19 and after being furloughed for a period of time I decided to take voluntary redundancy. Since then, I have started my own yoga and meditation business, “Root to Rise”.

My passion for teaching the practice of yoga to others stems from the significant changes it has brought to my own life. Yoga builds mental resilience, courage and confidence, and I believe that it has something for everyone. It can have huge benefits in the corporate workplace, as well as on the sports field, or in day to day life. I love being able to spend my time sharing a practice I am passionate about and putting all my energy into something which is completely my own.

My experience working and training as a Secondary School Geography Teacher at Buckingham has undoubtedly given me valuable skills in communicating and transferring skills and information to others. My teaching degree gave me the confidence to stand up in front of people and share my knowledge and passion with them, and it gave me the skills and tools to do so in an effective way. It was certainly an important stepping stone on the pathway to being where I am today.

Originally from Russia, I attended a boarding school in Dorset and realised I wanted to remain in the UK for University. I decided to study at The University of Buckingham because the idea of small group teaching really appealed to me and I found my perfect course in the BA English Literature with Psychology (a combination that I’d struggled to find elsewhere). I haven’t regretted my decision, I love the fact the staff here really care about their students and always go above and beyond.

I am the current Students’ Union President at the University. My role is to represent the interests of students to the University’s senior staff and make sure they are taken into account during policy-making and strategic decision-making (particularly important in the context of the pandemic this year). I also oversee the work of the student executive, so students have the best experience possible at Buckingham.

As well as my SU responsibilities, I am the Happiness Champion, a voluntary role for the organisation Action for Happiness. I attend and advertise online webinars related to wellbeing, distribute helpful resources to students and before the pandemic I ran workshops. I take great pride in both of these roles and I love the idea that every day brings an opportunity to make a positive impact on people’s lives.

My time at Buckingham is almost complete, I have thoroughly enjoyed my degree and hope to go on to further study. In the long-term I aspire to work with Olympic athletes as a Positive Psychology Life Coach. I have a very positive outlook on life and what people can achieve, and I would love to help as many people as possible feel the same way.

The knowledge I have gained during my degree will be incredibly valuable to me in my future endeavours. This is thanks to the empowering, inspiring, and supportive experience I had and the wonderful people I met. I do not think I would be following the path I have planned today without Buckingham.

I began racing racing go-karts in Spain when I was 13 years old, aspiring to one day take part in Formula 1. I won my first National Championship in 1988 and in 1990 I won the Spanish Karting Championship in the Senior category, being the youngest driver ever to do so. After qualifying fifth in the Spanish Formula Ford championship in 1992, I thought I’d try my luck at the European championship.

I was racing for a team based at Silverstone when I decided I wanted to study alongside my racing career. It was important to me to have something to fall back on, should I ever need it. Buckingham’s location so close to Silverstone was what first attracted me, and when I learnt about the international atmosphere and the shorter study time, Buckingham fit my plans perfectly.

I completed a two year economics degree and a Masters at Buckingham and I’d have to say what I loved most about my time at the University was the different cultures and nationalities of the students. There was also a great Spanish community and I still see friends from that time. Graduation also sticks in my mind as one of the most important days of my life; Margaret Thatcher gave me my degree.

In 1997 I competed in the International F3000 Championship and in 1998 I won the Open Fortuna by Nissan. Finally, I made it to Formula 1 in 1999. Three things stand out in my career. The 24 Hours of Le Mans: I’m the first and only Spanish driver to win that race and the day I won it was a big day in Spain. Then there was the day I first signed for Ferrari as a test driver, and finally, in the history of Spain, only ten drivers had made it to Formula 1 before me.

I’m now based in Barcelona working as an ambassador for Scuderia Ferrari. I attend all Formula 1 GP races and coach the engineers and drivers as well as interacting with clients and sponsors. I also get to drive the F1 cars, which is a real highlight.

I’m lucky that my life did end up following the racing driver path, however, my Economics degree has given me a better understanding of the motorsport world and has been very useful in running my companies. My degree was the best investment I made. It’s like having a passport. You might not need it, but it’s always there

I attended Buckingham from June through December in 1977, as part of a semester abroad program run by Bucknell University.

Thinking back to my time at UCB, as it was called then, it was a wonderful experience. The school had just been founded with high hopes, and it had attracted a very diverse and cosmopolitan student body.

I lived in a little house at the other end of town on Page Hill, and the 5 housemates each hailed from a different continent. I remember some outstanding teachers in various economics classes, visiting from Oxford (Bootle), LSE (Allyngham) and the US (Beazer). And a great German class where each Wednesday we went to a pub The Barrel (Das Faß) and had to speak German the whole evening.

England was in bad shape back then, it was pre-Thatcher and North Sea Oil. There were blackouts, queues galore, and my Nat West account paid 3% when inflation was 20%! We all decided that we would adapt and drink bitter (31p/pint) rather than lager (36p/pint) since we calculated a saving of over £100 from that pivotal decision. My friend Jeff Gartzman used to wear a yellow slicker raincoat wherever he went; even when it was sunny he knew it would rain at some point during the day. I remember Mrs Kay Long, who ran the cafeteria, as one fine cook and fine woman; she treated me like a son.

Life is an accumulation of choices, and a series of seemingly trivial decisions that I made at Buckingham led me via a scattered path to my current job in Paris, France. I originally enrolled at Buckingham to study BA International Studies. However, after two weeks I changed course to BSc Economics with French. During orientation I had come across the Modern Foreign Language department desk and, purely out of personal interest, decided to change course and take French as a minor.

After graduating from The University of Buckingham in March 2014, I started my career as an Analyst Intern at an event-driven hedge fund in Geneva, Switzerland. It was my minor in French that landed me the role. Little did I know that my interest in learning a little French would give me a kick-start in my career.

After finishing my internship and wanting to further my interest in economics, I joined The Economist’s Club at Buckingham. A small group of caring professors and interested students met weekly for a discussion of articles in the latest issue of The Economist. I thoroughly enjoyed the intellectual stimulation I experienced during these discussions, so I decided to pursue a master’s degree in International Economics and Finance at Johns Hopkins University in Washington DC, US.

After completing my master’s degree in 2015, I moved to Mexico City, Mexico, to work in corporate banking, providing financing to multinational corporations in Latin America. This move, again, was supported by Spanish courses I took at Buckingham. I found languages at Buckingham challenging, but the struggle of confusing Spanish with French bore fruit in a way that I could not have predicted at the time.

I am now a Junior Economist / Policy Analyst at the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) in Paris, France, working with policy analysis on capital flows and clean energy finance.

Sometimes, life can only be explained backwards, and the little senseless choices you make can lead you to an adventurous path.

A refugee from Rwanda, Sean Obedih has had a lot to contend with. When he arrived in Britain he was put into a refugee centre in Weston-super-Mare. He was 19 and it took nearly eight years for the Home Office to sort out his case. He moved around the country finding a series of jobs until finally, in 2007, he was given leave to stay.

“It wasn’t until I got my papers that I was allowed to do what I should have done when I first arrived, which was to catch up with my education. I read about the scholarship to study for a BSc in Business Enterprise at the University of Buckingham and applied,” he said.

By that time he was already working on a business plan for skin-tone sticking plasters: “A friend’s son came home from school in tears saying he had been bullied for wearing a white plaster on his forehead after an injury in the playground. We couldn’t find any skin-tone plasters in the shops and I realised that here was something I could change.” He won the scholarship from SEGRO plc, the industrial property developers, and was able to develop his business as part of the honours degree.

The expense of getting the plasters to market was daunting for someone without family money or influential friends. After a struggle to raise funds, he managed to get them manufactured and sells them now through his Urban Armour website.

Meanwhile he has started another business called the Founders Hive; an online platform supported by a series of events he organises on the Google campus in London to bring entrepreneurs and inventors together with suitable partners and investors. Entrepreneurs present their business plans and have a chance to “speed date” with people who could bring expertise or funding. “After what I went through, the idea is to help people get a team together with the right expertise to be able to go out and look for funding,”.

Faith studied for a Bachelor’s Degree in Law at Buckingham. After completing her degree Faith was appointed a Vice Chair of the Progressive Liberal Party, she was invited to join the writing team for those elections. She quietly became a contributing strategist and writer to the Party, and its Leader, former Prime Minister Rt Hon Perry Christie for some 20 years. She eventually retired as head speechwriter of the Progressive Liberal Party after the 2017 General Elections.

It was after the 2012 Elections that, notwithstanding her continued political work as an analyst, writer, and consultant, and eventual formal employment in the office of the Prime Minister, Faith explored the more creative side of writing. She has been the editor in chief of Up and Away Magazine (the inflight magazine of Bahamasair), and has also become a sought after ghost autobiographer. One of her poems dedicated to the late Maya Angelou can also be heard on the latest album (Black Current Jam) of 7 x Grammy Awarded American bassist, Robert Hurst.

Faith says: “At present I am working on the story of a climate refugee who has also survived the Nigerian BiAfra conflict as well as the US invasion of Grenada. While I never held the desire to practice Law, I credit The University of Buckingham’s Law programme and faculty with training me to love research, history, justice, and methodical/analytical thinking.”

After graduating with my MBA in February 2005, armed with a student visa that would expire in 8 months’ time, I started applying for jobs. In the meantime, I worked for the Student Union, living in subsidised accommodation on campus.

I got my first job offer in Hertford working as a marketing developer for scientific instruments. I was there for a year and was grateful to have a job. I worked hard, but truth be told, my heart wasn’t in it after the first 6 months. I didn’t like the job much and because I didn’t know anyone or have any friends in the area, I used to bake as soon as I got home just to keep myself busy. I would take the cakes in to work and my colleagues would rave about them. In fact, my first real order for a fruit cake came from one of my colleagues. I stayed on for another six months before I handed in my resignation.

I went to work for a different company within the marketing department where I was enticed by the prospect of creating exciting campaigns. But I wasn’t particularly happy there either as I struggled with a lack of creative outlets. Baking was still important to me, so when I went on maternity leave, I made the decision to leave my job and invest my savings in starting a cake making business. It wasn’t long before the orders started coming in and I mustered up the courage to sign up for a wedding fayre.

I was aiming to earn £500 a month, which meant I would need to make one wedding cake per month. I set this target because that was exactly how much I would be left with if I went back to work and placed my son in a nursery. I now run a multi-award winning cake shop, have won several entrepreneurial awards and was honoured by The Queen in the 2017 New Year’s Honours list. You may even have seen me on the BBC programme ‘The Sweetmakers: A Tudor Treat’!

Many people’s lives seem to be planned from an early age. Sometimes you can be lucky, like my son Oscar, and know that you want to direct films from the moment you saw your first movie. Others have careers imposed on them, as a result of parental pressure or a rigid education system that makes children fit the system rather than finds out what the child will do best. I don’t fit into either of these camps. I was a very dyslexic student in the 1970s when dyslexia was neither accepted nor understood. If it were not for a few people and institutions who believed in me, my life could have gone in a very different direction.

Firstly and crucially, I have loving and supportive parents who understood that raising a dyslexic child is an adventure in tolerance, understanding and challenge. When I came home at age eleven from Fox Primary School I showed my mother a merit certificate for making tie dye T-shirts (it was the late 1970s). She realised that while I could clothe myself in fun colours I could not read aloud the words on the award. Two years later the brilliant headmaster and educator, Dr. John Rae, interviewed me for a place at Westminster School. Just like my parents, he saw past my bad spelling, atrocious writing and appalling reading and gave me a chance. He gave me a copy of the Times newspaper and asked me to talk through all the articles. Three hours later he approved my conditional admission with me promising to work hard so that I could ‘get the boring stuff out of the way’ and choose my own path. I am forever grateful for his trust and friendship.

A few years later and Buckingham gave me the same chance. With good teacher reports but appalling A-levels, the Law School decided to take a chance. For the next two years I flourished. Admittedly, I may have achieved more in the Student Union bar and rugby field than in my law classes, but I left the University and Westminster School with a confidence and optimism that has served me well.

This confidence has allowed me to run TV channels like Animal Planet and the Science Channel, ride a horse down the spine of Chile, make films in China, give speeches to thousands, and most recently, be Director of the National Trust for Wales. Bravery is not inherited, it is learnt and given, and my courage was given to me by my parents, my school and The University of Buckingham.

I met my husband, Jamie, while studying at Buckingham and in the seven years since leaving, we’ve had a combined four house moves, two deaths in the family, four job changes, and two beautiful children, Gabrielle and Caspien.

We’re interested in urbanisation and health: two words that aren’t linked a great deal. Over the last twenty years, the rate of urbanisation across the globe has been unprecedented. We’ve seen a resurgence of cities and this is expected to continue. So, travelling on a packed train to work, standing in line for a coffee, or sweating in a club were all insightful opportunities that allowed us to think about the future – and how we can make a difference.

Our latest “child” is our business, which we founded last September. Vertical Future (www.verticalfuture.co.uk) is a London-based technology start-up focused on improving health in cities. We identify specific problems in cities and develop technology-focused initiatives to assist in solving them. In short, we want to make cities healthier places to live for our children and future generations by acting now.

A new business should indeed be viewed as a baby that must be fed (with cash), nurtured (through many long hours), and rested (debatable in this context). Babies also learn quickly and that is what we’ve had to do. Our initiatives address three separate urban issues: food sustainability, pressure on healthcare resources, and air pollution. For this article, we’ll talk about the first of these only.

Looking back almost a decade, Buckingham helped form the theoretical basis for our thoughts and understanding of the business world, as well as preparing us for the personal challenges of life in general. Buckingham also taught us the importance of networking and surrounding ourselves with those who believe in our cause.

Why did I choose Buckingham? My reason was simple. A friend recommended the University to me. This word-of- mouth recommendation is the Buckingham way. I think it is true to say that when you have had a good experience, you can’t help but share it with those closest to you.

People are central to the Buckingham story. People who embody the values and ethos of the University. I have been privileged to be impacted and influenced by them over the course of the years that I have been at the University, first as a student and then as a member of staff. The first person I met was Professor Alistair Alcock. I was introduced to him by a lovely couple whose bed and breakfast I stayed in on first arriving in Buckingham, prior to my registration at the University. I was touched by his willingness to meet me and to offer me an informal introduction to the University. I went on to meet the most amazing academics, firstly in the Law School and latterly in the School of Humanities.

Working for the University, first in the Marketing Department/Central Admissions, then in the School of Humanities and in the Alumni Office and now in Central Admissions, I have met and worked with the most exemplary individuals. People who go the extra mile.

So, how do I sum up my time at Buckingham? The only words I can find are, “thank you”. Thank you to all the people, staff, colleagues, students and alumni who have made and continue to make this a worthwhile journey. I am sure many alumni will share my sentiment when they think of their own Buckingham experience.

I live and work in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and sat for my Law degree at The University of Buckingham having started my course in 1977 – the second year after the opening of the University.

In the most extraordinary turn of events, Christian (my brother) and I had read the news about a new, independent University about to open its doors – we both, quite separately, decided to apply. Christian was accepted into the first intake in February 1976 and I in 1977. We both decided to read Law. In 1976 I spent a lot of time at Buckingham with Christian, and I got to know most of the 60 or so students and the staff.

With hindsight, the thing that appealed to both Christian and I was the shortness of the course, the obvious internationalism of the new University and the whole premise upon which it had been built. It was a risk – but there was a sense of excitement about being at the start of something with huge potential.

Our days at the University were happy times and our decision to go to the University was not something that either of us ever regretted. It had been fun as well as educational – in every sense!

Christian went on to qualify as a barrister and I as a solicitor. Christian found Chambers in London. He then became Legal Counsel for the International Fund for Agricultural Development in Rome, where he lived for some 22 years before sadly passing away in 2006. I joined a firm of solicitors in London and rose to become a Partner, conducting some massive litigation on both sides of the Atlantic.

Some years later, after leaving the city, I set up a business called ‘Codrai Photographs’, and I later joined the National Archives of the UAE, where I continue to work. I like to think I am helping them build up their country’s historical records, both for posterity and for the education of generations to come.

If there is a common thread throughout my working life it is that the training I had at the University to become a lawyer has served me well – I have always acted as my own lawyer with the contracts I have had to sign and the many negotiations in which I have been involved. The University also continues to play a part in my life of internationalism – for example, the Executive Director of the National Archives, an Emirati, is also a graduate of The University of Buckingham!

I will always be grateful to the University. It is the main reason why both my children, Lorna and Ben, are currently studying for their degrees at the University – it has become a family tradition!