Alumni Volunteering Awards 2020 winners announced

Today we are thrilled to announce the winners of this year’s Alumni Volunteering Awards, which celebrate the outstanding commitment and achievements of our alumni volunteers.

From a shortlist of exceptional nominees, we are proud to present the following winners:

Alumni Volunteer of the Year

Winner: Ajaz Hussain (PGCE in Adult & Community Education, 2005)

Professional career counsellor Ajaz is passionate about supporting UCL students and alumni on their career journeys. 

Ajaz is one of our most active Alumni Online Community members, where he regularly provides invaluable advice. Always willing to offer CV tips or interview guidance, he has supported many former students during significant moments of their careers. 

On winning this award, Ajaz said: "The Alumni Online Community platform has enabled me to give my time, expertise and experience in the field of career development to UCL students and alumni across the world. 

Living and working in Saudi Arabia, I feel humbled and honoured to receive such a prestigious award.”

Congratulations to Ajaz, and thank you for your exceptional contributions to the UCL community.

Alumni Volunteer Group of the Year

Winner: UCL Recent Graduates Network

Though founded only last year, the UCL Recent Graduates Network has already had a huge impact. The network supports alumni who graduated within the last 10 years to connect with each other and access alumni services.

Undeterred by having to cancel many of their planned activities due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the network has gone from strength to strength. Their LinkedIn page has already amassed more than 500 followers since launching earlier this year and the group have begun mentoring former students.

"We were all already very excited just to be nominated, but winning was beyond expectations!

“The network was only created in November 2019, and even though we weren't able to organise as much as we wanted because of isolation, we are thankful for the online support that we received from the UCL community." – UCL Recent Graduates Network

Congratulations to the network, and thank you for giving your time to the UCL community. We are excited to see what the network has in store for the class of 2020.

A special announcement

This year’s Alumni Volunteering Awards are particularly special as they coincide with UCL’s It’s All Academic philanthropic and engagement campaign reaching 263,000+ volunteer hours – exceeding its 250,000 target.

This achievement reflects the incredible generosity of our alumni. Our alumni volunteers give their time in numerous ways – from mentoring and offering career advice to leading alumni groups and networks – to support their peers and future students and enrich the UCL community.

UCL’s Deputy Director of Alumni Relations, James Davis, commented on the announcement of the winners, “It is fantastic to be able to recognise Ajaz and the UCL Recent Graduates Network who have dedicated so much of their time to supporting UCL students and graduates.

“This is the third year we have held the Alumni Volunteering Awards, and each year I remain so impressed at how generous and supportive our alumni community is. 

“We have just exceeded our goal of 250,000 volunteer hours for the It’s All Academic campaign. Achieving this remarkable milestone would not be possible without our passionate and dedicated global community of volunteers.”

If you’re feeling inspired by our award winners, explore our alumni volunteering opportunities or sign up to the Alumni Online Community.