My Future in Five
Paul Hyatt confesses to being a life-long lover of all things geographic and that he felt like a ‘kid in a sweet shop’ when he studied with NRI at the University of Greenwich. Paul took five minutes out of his day to Skype with Communications Officer Linden Kemkaran, about his passion for fusing technology and geography and where it’s taken him during his long career.
Abi Davis studied for a BSc in Environmental Science, where she learnt about the natural world, environmental conflicts and issues, society’s impact on the environment and sustainable solutions. But more than anything, she learnt about herself, and what she could achieve. For the first time in her educational life, at university Abi received tailored support to help adapt to her conditions; for years she had struggled with undiagnosed mental and physical health issues. At school and college, often too ill to attend, she ended up missing huge chunks of her education. Abi took five minutes out of her day to Skype with NRI Communications Officer, Linden Kemkaran, to describe how she’s now using her experiences to help others.
Emmanuel Taiwo left Nigeria in 2013 and boarded a plane for the very first time, to come to the UK and study at NRI. His first impression was that the UK was cold in temperature, but warm in welcome. Emmanuel took five minutes out of his day to Skype with NRI Communication’s Officer, Linden Kemkaran, about his experience.
Ana Cristina left Mexico City to follow in her father’s footsteps and study for a Master’s at a university in the UK. As a mature student who’d been passionate about food and science from an early age, Ana embraced the lifestyle at NRI and quickly bonded with her much younger housemates. Ana took five minutes out of her day to Skype with Communications Officer Linden Kemkaran on what she learned, and what she’s doing now.
Bernard Essel came to NRI in 2015 to study for an MSc in Sustainable Environment Management. Originally from Ghana, he grew up with a fascination for technology and a dream of becoming a civilian airline pilot. Bernard took five minutes out of his day to Skype with NRI Communications Officer, Linden Kemkaran, on how he now spends his days flying, but not quite in the way he’d imagined.
Gloria Adeyiga left Ghana for the first time in 2009 to study in the UK at NRI, for her Master’s in Natural Resources Management. A big believer in gender equality, Gloria now spends her time back in Ghana working on land restoration and encouraging more women to become actively engaged and share their expertise. Gloria took five minutes out of her day to Skype with NRI Communications Officer Linden Kemkaran to describe how she is making a difference.
Mark Parnell is a veteran of NRI. He first donned his lab coat in 1990 to work as an invertebrate pathologist, went on to complete the first Masters course in Sustainable Agriculture run by NRI and is now NRI’s Commercial Manager. A childhood dream of being a weatherman almost became reality, but he turned down the Met Office to pursue a career in biological sciences. Mark took five minutes out of his day to Skype with NRI Communications Officer, Linden Kemkaran, about what he’s learnt during his 30 years at NRI and how, if given the opportunity, he wouldn’t change a thing.
Mature student Purity Hrisca wanted to progress up the food industry career ladder so she studied at NRI for a Master’s in Food Safety and Quality Management. A self-confessed “foodie”, Purity admits she’s come a long way from her childhood dream of being a news anchor or an air hostess. Now with an MSc under her belt, Purity took five minutes out of her day to Skype with NRI Communications Officer, Linden Kemkaran, to talk about her ambition to empower people through teaching them how to cook from scratch.
Stephen Doso Jnr graduated from NRI in 2013 after taking a Master's Degree in Sustainable Environmental Management (now Global Environmental Change). Studying at the University of Greenwich brought him to Europe for the first time and while it wasn’t all plain sailing, he persevered and ended up gaining a Distinction. Stephen took five minutes out of his day in Ghana to have a Skype call with NRI Communications Officer, Linden Kemkaran and talk about how NRI made him “up his game” and how this now stands him in good stead for his career.
Jessica Sanders graduated from the University of Greenwich in 2018 with a first class degree in Geography BSc (Hons). She trained to be a teacher but found the pull of university life too strong, and now works at Greenwich’s Medway campus as an Employability Officer. Jessica took five minutes out of her day to talk to NRI Communications Officer, Linden Kemkaran about her love of Geography, her passion for dancing and what it’s like to be back in student-land…
Katie James has a degree in Environmental Science from the University of Greenwich and is currently a PhD student at NRI. Between school and university, she did “a bit of everything” until realising that the natural sciences were “actually a thing”, and could be the gateway to a fulfilling career. Katie took five minutes out of her day to sit down with NRI Communications Officer Linden Kemkaran to chat about how it all began, and her determination to give something back.
Harrison Lambert studied for his undergraduate degree at NRI and after exploring a few different career avenues, he has just returned to study for his PhD. A life-long lover of the natural world, Harrison wanted a career that combined ecology (the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings), agriculture, and helping those in need. He took five minutes out of his day to talk to Communications Officer Linden Kemkaran about why returning to NRI feels like “coming home” and how to him, NRI experts are among the “rock stars of the science world”.