A recent Social Sciences graduate, on being brought in by Maliha, the DEN Christmas party that opened up campus life, and the field trips to Vietnam and Uzbekistan that turned into friendships she still keeps
Michelle Mohaimen, recent graduate, School of Social Sciences, University of Westminster. UK-based, born in Italy, of Bangladeshi heritage.
Part of the Inside Westminster anniversary series marking ten years of the Democratic Education Network.
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How did you first come into contact with DEN?
At the Freshers’ Fair. Maliha, a DEN senior, told me about DEN, and I joined. She was so full of life and energy, and her clear passion for what DEN did piqued my interest immediately.
Which DEN activities have you taken part in?
DEN took me to places I never thought I would be taking part in. The Annual DEN Conferences. A field trip to Vietnam. A student-led initiative to Uzbekistan that grew directly out of DEN.
When I first joined, I was so shy. I then got the opportunity to help out with DEN’s annual Christmas party, and that really helped me better understand how to engage in wider campus life. From then on, I not only got to build connections with my peers but also to understand how to build healthy relationships with my professors. Farhang then informed me that he runs a module for second-year students, and I was highly interested, mostly because it offered a once-in-a-lifetime field trip to Vietnam and an international conference there.
The module was strategically built around DEN, so our class would finish and, straight after, the DEN sessions would begin. By the time we ran the conference in our second year, we were experts in networking, and we got invited to join TIMUN as chairs. In the third year, it was slightly harder to come into DEN because of my varied commitments and the intensity of classes, but I did present at the Annual Conference and reconnected with my Uzbek colleagues, which was lovely.
Was there a moment at DEN that has stayed with you?
Farhang has been more than a professor to me. He has been kind of like a mentor, and I really appreciated that. I got to better understand not only how to improve my university life, but what I needed to do to improve myself.
What aspects of DEN have had the biggest impact on you?
The opportunities that came with being in DEN, but more importantly, the friends I made while attending DEN.
How has DEN helped you develop personally?
It helped me connect with people globally on levels I never thought were possible. I still keep in contact with friends from both Vietnam and Uzbekistan.
Has DEN helped you with employability or professional development?
It all starts with simply taking the initiative to come to DEN. Being able to contribute to and produce a book and a conference itself helped me build many of the qualities employers look for. I also received incredible references from Farhang and earned points through the Employability Awards for my DEN participation, which secured my Bronze and Silver Awards.
What is one thing DEN has given you that you would have struggled to find elsewhere?
An opportunity to build my career through the initiatives we have taken part in together.
What advice would you give to students thinking of joining?
University can be a lonely space if you do not research clubs and societies. You have to communicate and put yourself out there if you want to succeed. DEN is an incredible place to start if you want to join a supportive network of like-minded people. Personally, DEN gave me the opportunity to get to know my coursemates on a personal level and to form friendships I will forever be grateful for.
What would you say to a colleague at another university?
DEN is a welcoming and collaborative space. Even if you are not in London, DEN does a lot to ensure that distance is not a deterrent to your contribution.
Should DEN do anything differently in the next decade?
Secure more funding and expand networks to Singapore and other parts of Southeast Asia. Perhaps even collaborate with societies, or with Westminster Working Cultures.
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“I will always be grateful to DEN, for pushing me beyond my boundaries, for moulding me as a person during my formative years, for allowing me to experience friendships and opportunities that would otherwise never have been open to me. DEN was the supportive community I needed to complete my university experience.”
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Photo caption: “DEN was the supportive community I needed to complete my university experience.”
