Exclusive content: Behind the scenes of Warwick graduations!

Recently, I got the privilege to work in the biggest graduation ceremonies in Warwick’s history, combining the COVID disrupted classes of 2020, 2021 in ‘Warwick Celebrates’, and of course the summer 2022 graduates in ‘Warwick Graduations’, all taking place every single day throughout the whole of July.

I was given the role of Student Ambassador working for the Alumni Engagement team, where my main responsibilities were speaking with thousands of graduates, their parents, and collecting their details to add to the growing Alumni body, so that everyone can benefit from lifelong support from the University beyond graduating and entering the workforce.

What I found most interesting from the job though was the amazing spectacles put up in the event. The festival and carnival next to Cryfield sports hub, and of course the HUGE igloo capable of seating hundreds of people were the highlights in my opinion, and makes me more excited than ever for my very own graduation next year in a hopefully warm and sunny July day! Despite having to work long hours, which start with an 8am arrival on campus to help set up for an extremely busy day, the buzz of the whole event has surprisingly taken away the need to rely on caffeine at all.

Anyways, here are just some photos taken from where the Alumni Engagement stall was set up.

This was the angle from the stall, photo taken shortly before 8:30am during “The calm before the storm (of graduates looking for the parents and vice versa)”

And shortly just half an hour later at 8:30am when graduates and parents entered to take their photos…

And here is the igloo, which unfortunately my camera does not even capture a fraction of!

And finally, the festival, which had an pop up vans serving burgers, ice cream, loaded fries, curries, lotttsss of alcohol, and even included a ferris wheel and bumper car arena!

And who can forget taking a picture with the famous ‘WARWICK’ sign which was on the bucket list for every graduate! Fortunately, I got a glimpse of the sign before the area was flooded with excited, and some slightly drunk graduates!

Overall, this was definitely one of my favourite part time jobs and events I’ve ever been involved in, and it was an absolute honour to contribute towards making these graduates enjoy the perfect send off that they absolutely deserve.