Hear from your Alumni Ambassadors about what Around the World in 7 Days means to them and the local alumni community.
The flagship series takes place between 19 and 26 May 2017 and will see hundreds of alumni come together to celebrate all things Goldsmiths. Since its small beginnings, the volunteer-led series has doubled in alumni volunteers and cities, and for the first time, the series comes home to London with four events spanning the decades.
Around the World in 7 Days is not just about this one week in May – it’s about the collective experience alumni had at Goldsmiths and the ongoing opportunities to meet like-minded people wherever they live and work.
If you want to meet other alumni from your region, network, collaborate or get together for informal drinks, you can now get involved with your alumni group. Watch this space for news and events happening near you.
Hear from your Alumni Ambassadors
This series is first and foremost volunteer-led, and we couldn’t do it without our Alumni Ambassadors. Amy Chrzanowski (Study Abroad in Theatre/Media and Communications, 2006), who is currently an Account Supervisor for a marketing agency called The Food Group, is one of our veteran Alumni Ambassadors. This is her third year and she tells us what it’s like to host an event and why it’s important.
Looking back, how has this series changed since it first began in 2015? When we first started the series, the alumni I knew in the city were those who studied abroad with me. Now, we have alumni from a range of graduation years who attend year after year – and it’s so wonderful to see them at the Around the World in 7 Days event! I know some alumni would agree that it would be great to meet more than once a year to chat about our times at Goldsmiths, what has changed, what we miss about London, etc.
What do you and fellow Alumni Ambassador, Krystal Patrick, have in store for New York alumni this year? It’s only proper to catch up over a true pint in the right setting! So Krystal and new addition, Laura, and I will be bringing alumni to one of the top British Pubs in NY (as voted on Anglophenia by BBC America), the Red Lion. First drink and finger food are on Goldsmiths – and live music starts at 8!
New York has an established group of Goldsmiths alumni – how would you define the alumni community in New York? Our alumni community is diverse, creative and hard working – after all, we’re New Yorkers. Our alumni may come from a range of places we call “home”, graduation years and professions (though many of us have remained in creative fields) but we will always be Goldsmiths alumni and proud of it.
The series is about community, but it is also about the individuals like you who make it happen. Why is this series important to you and why do you think it is important for fellow alumni who continue to come each year? The reason I’m an Alumni Ambassador is because my time at Goldsmiths was one of the most important times of my life. It was my first time traveling outside of the US and seeing the broader picture of things, so to reconnect with those who have shared this same experience is truly special.
In terms of the alumni at the event – I’ve realised what a wonderful opportunity this is for alumni who studied fulltime at Goldsmiths. It’s important for us to come together as this is the one time we can all connect. So if you’ve never joined us before or have joined us every year, please join us at the Red Lion on 25 May from 6.30-9pm! Cheers!
Alongside our veteran Alumni Ambassadors, we have many new faces who will host for the first time. This is the first year artist and independent researcher C. M. Kosemen (Digital Media: Technology and Cultural Form, 2008) is an Alumni Ambassador.
What has attracted to you to become an Alumni Ambassador? I think Goldsmiths found me rather than the other way around – I was a finalist for the British Council UK Alumni Award in Istanbul and we got in touch that way. That being said, I find this role attractive because it is fun. I personally know many Goldsmiths alumni in Turkey as friends, and it’ll be a nice experience to meet others.
What does it mean to you to help host the first alumni event in Turkey? It has been almost a decade since I completed my studies at Goldsmiths, and I feel happy and honoured that my school has remembered me this way.
We hope your event goes well and gives alumni in Turkey an opportunity to celebrate and meet likeminded people. Tell us about your event. This event will be hosted at the Urban Cafe/Pub – one of Istanbul’s favourite places for artists, publishers and others with intellectual occupations, at the heart of Istanbul’s urbane and eclectic ‘Pera’ district. It will be a casual get together, people can order food, drinks, drop in for a quick coffee, or stay until the later hours.
It is only your first year, but organising the event now and looking to the future, what would you like to see happen with the Goldsmiths alumni community in Turkey and to this series? I think these events should occur annually, and every year there should be a digital and/or printed bulletin that will keep track of Goldsmiths alumni in Turkey, their careers and accomplishments. I would like to see other events aimed at connecting prospective BA or MA applicants with Goldsmiths alumni in Turkey. I know from personal experience that meeting alumni and getting a scope of their life during and after their time in overseas education is a decisive factor for many young people interested in studying abroad, at Goldsmiths or any other institution.
Another new Alumni Ambassador, Kartini Ariffin (MA Television Journalism 2006), is currently the Director of Radio for iM4U Radio Sdn. Bhd, and she has this to say about hosting her first event.
This is your first year participating in Around the World in 7 Days, tell us about your event and what you hope from the day? I am very excited to be hosting Malaysia’s first alumni gathering. It’s a small dinner at a very cosy venue and most importantly accessible to the invitees. I really don’t know what to expect!
What does it mean to you to help host the first alumni event in Malaysia? When I was reading the alumni newsletter, I read about all the exciting events from Around the World in 7 Days, and I tried to look up one for Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur at least. The nearest city that came up in my search was Singapore and Indonesia. I asked myself: ‘How come we are not on the map? I know a few alumni from KL. How come someone hasn’t organised anything for Malaysia?’ And thought that someone could have been me. It means a lot to me to share my Goldsmiths experiences and touch base with other alumni.
You are the first Alumni Ambassador in Malaysia, what does being an Alumni Ambassador mean to you and what do you hope has in store in future for the programme, the series and the alumni community in Malaysia? As an industry enthusiast, I feel that the industry requires a skilled and educated workforce. Media, as a subject, is gaining popularity, but traditional jobs are strengthening in position. Many Malaysians will study abroad, not only in the UK, and they tend to choose the traditional courses and even if they did choose Media, Goldsmiths is not on their application list. As a start, creating awareness about Goldsmiths is on my checklist of things to do as an Alumni Ambassador, and I cannot do this alone. Together alumni can amplify the awareness, and perhaps in the future, I can gather a few others and organise talks/workshops supported by and in support of the University.
Thank you to all of our Alumni Ambassadors! We hope you have a great evening, and remember this series is the biggest yet and we expect several hundred alumni to attend. Join in on the celebrations – booking is now open.
