Role models play a key role in making students feel like they belong in a field or discipline. Are you a member of an under-represented group* with a degree in a geoscience-related subject and an inspiring career story to tell? Even if you are not currently working in a geoscience-related job, we’d still like to hear from you!
Role models will feature on this website with a photo and short biography. There are also further opportunities to get involved for those who are interested. Contact us to find out more!
Victoria Ayodeji – BA Geography,
University of Cambridge,
Public Speaker, Coach, Writer
“There’s a great quote from Marian Wright Edelman, the African-American activist and writer, who says: “You can’t be what you can’t see.” Seeing people from a similar background to you, whether that be geographically, culturally, or in any other way, makes you feel much more comfortable and able to achieve more. This is why I am passionate about also helping others from a similar background to myself, those who do not readily have access to a network of people who can support them with applying to university.”
Adil Toorawa – BSc Physical Geography, Manchester Metropolitan University,
GIS Specialist, Arcadis
”The application of geography in the real world allows us to understand and make informed decisions to assist people. The very people I live with and many around the world. I knew I wanted a career in this as it allowed me to apply my knowledge to different geographical subjects I loved.”
Martin Griffin – BEng Industrial Geology, University of Exeter, Senior Engineer
at Knight Piesold Consulting
”My ongoing conditions have shaped me, but they do not define who I am. Instead, they make me think and ask, what is considered normal and the uniqueness of all of us… Daily, I still love solving real problems using real data by applying my geological and engineering skills. I also love working with a great diversity of interdisciplinary colleagues across the globe in other offices to achieve reliable, safe and cost-effective solutions for our clients.”
Naomi Robinson – BA Geography, University of Manchester,
Consultant at CapGemini
”I was able to step outside of my comfort zone by going on a ‘unconventional’ journey as a Geography graduate working in Tech. I encourage young people to be fearless in considering a career in Tech from a Non-STEM background. I also encourage embracing your difference and always seek intentional learning.”
Abbey Wong – BSc Geography and Geocomputation, King’s College London,
AI and Analytics Consultant
at CapGemini Invent
”Sustainability is no longer a buzzword, but is actively being embraced in workspaces, laws, and consumer trends. There’s never been a better time to graduate with our major!”
Rishi Shah – BA Geography,
University College London,
Chartered Accountancy Graduate at Aviva
”Looking back, studying geography helped me to develop a more holistic understanding in life, and I feel much more informed about key issues that I especially care about, such as climate change and international development. I’m very glad that I chose to study geography, it was honestly the best experience of my life!”
Monisha Jackson – BA Geography
and Sociology, University of Leeds,
Sociology PhD student
at Georgia State University
”Being a 2nd generation immigrant in the UK places so many of us in a liminal space where we are trying to understand this duality of living in the centre of empire while also having deep personal connections to the global South. I was raised in a Guyanese household, through and through, and Geography was the only subject in school where I got to learn about things like migration, globalisation, nationality and gentrification. “
Ekbal Hussain – MSci Natural Sciences (Geosciences), University of Cambridge,
PhD Geophysics and Satellite Geodesy, University of Leeds, Topic Lead for Multi-Hazard Systems, British Geological Survey
”I’ve spent far too much precious time trying to make myself fit into the environments I inhabit. Don’t bother! Your working class/racial/ethnic background is yours to own. Don’t let it constrain your choices. Celebrate yourself first. I promise the most important people in your life/workplace will appreciate you for who you are, not who you are pretending to be. “
Samia Dumbuya (she/they) –
BSc Geography, University of Greenwich,
Campaigns Advisor for Change.org
”If you are someone who likes to discuss different topics and somehow link them all, geography is the path to take. More and more employers are looking for people who have knowledge about the environment and environmental challenges because most companies are pivoting to making their strategies more sustainable and eco-friendly. So now is the best time to study geosciences/geography.”
YuXin Yang – BA Geography,
UCL User Experience Designer,
Accenture Interactive
”I picked geography at the outset because I was drawn to the broad nature of geography as a subject, spanning everything from explaining weather patterns to helping us critically think about our consumption habits and understand our attitudes towards societal issues have been shaped. At UCL, I was particularly interested in human geography topics and enjoyed learning about the history of geography as a discipline, as well as how it has evolved owing to different schools of thought.”
Adwoa Amankona – BA Geography,
UCL Project Coordinator,
Chiswick House and Gardens Trust
”Through blood, sweat and lots of caffeine, I am now a First-Class Geography graduate of University College London, a Global Top 10 University. From being in the lowest sets during Primary School, attending an Ofsted rated: “needs improvement” state Secondary School, not being a straight-A student (I received majority-B’s in my 13 GCSE’s), attaining DDDU for my AS Levels and retaking this Lower Sixth year to later achieve BBB, onto a final A-Level grading of A*BB, THEN being diagnosed with dyslexia after my final exams but just months before my university experience began was quite the journey…”
Yogeeta Nimbalkar – MSc Geoinformation Technology and Cartography,
University of Glasgow,
Exposure Management Analyst at Lancashire, London
“Living in the Western Ghats of India, I was always curious about the changing world around us. When I look back at my journey, I realise that every step has helped me connect the dots and make right decisions in my life and one of those best decisions was to study geoscience.”
Fiona Connor – BSc Physical Geography, University of Reading,
Senior Geotechnical Design Engineer
at Gavin & Doherty Geosolutions
”Go for it! Give it a try. There’s always a field to suit your interests and skills, whether that’s programming, field skills, core logging, geophysics, offshore oceanography or science communication. As I’ve demonstrated geography is super transferable, provides a great skill set and could take you anywhere!”
Naa Adorkor Sackeyfio – BSc Natural Resources Management, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, & MSc Geo-information Science and Earth Observation, International Institute of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, Information Data Analyst at ITOPF
”I enjoy providing information through maps, models and other applications that are effective for analytical decision making and communication. It is very rewarding to see the impact of my work. I think GIS is a growing field with very good prospects and I would like to see more students studying geosciences. “
Zeinab Adeyemi – MGeol Geology, University of Leicester,
Senior Geologist at Cora Gold
“I would like to see the geosciences/geography at the forefront of the conversations about climate change and sustainable energy, as it is a key discipline regarding this. Exploration and mining are especially important in the fight against climate change as a lot of the materials needed for sustainable energy solutions will have to be mined.”
Danny Mahmood – BSc Geography, Sheffield Hallam University,
Wastewater Modeller at RPS
“Geography is perceived as an “essay” writing subject, and I questioned myself as to whether this was the right degree for me. But once I started studying for my award, I found that there is a lot more to geography than the standard writing an essay. There are many opportunities to explore including getting involved with fieldwork opportunities, working on/using statistical analysis and my most favourite, discovering the power of geographical information systems (AKA GIS).”
Ashar Aslam – MEarthSci in Earth Sciences, University of Oxford,
PhD student in Tropical Meteorology, University of Leeds
“Balancing every aspect of my identity in a subject that is historically not that diverse, especially at a researcher level, has been a challenge, but you shouldn’t have to hold any of it back. Remember that you don’t have to explain yourself. Don’t feel you need to pressure yourself to do things, and make sure you do what gives you the most comfort. Whatever path you’re taking, you’re going to ace it!”
Omar Amri – MGeol in Applied
and Environmental Geology,
University of Leicester, Associate at SRK Exploration Services
“I became fascinated with understanding how the earth developed over billions of years and how the earth and what’s inside it were intricately associated to our everyday lives, from the toothpaste we hopefully use everyday to the bricks that make up the buildings we live in.
… I have vivid memories of collecting fossils on sunny days at the beach when I was younger so maybe the geologist in me was just waiting for the right time to be awakened?! Don’t think that’d make the cut for even a very low budget superhero movie sadly…”
Raja Aiman Balqis Binti Raja Mazuir (she/her) – BSc Geoscience,
Durham University, MSc Geographical Information Science, University of Manchester, Graduate Consultant, ESRI UK
“We learn something new about our world every day, whether it be about deep earth processes or how climate will affect our future. It is a subject that we will never fully learn everything about. I also love how studying geosciences allowed me to travel to places that I would never have visited by myself! “