Celebrating UCL’s community of alumni volunteers during Volunteers’ Week

Every year, alumni give the gift of time to UCL by supporting other alumni, running and speaking at events, mentoring current students, advising prospective students and more. Their impact is profound, benefitting the UCL community in a multitude of ways.

Cultivating connection and belonging

With over 350,000 graduates living in more than 190 countries worldwide, the UCL alumni community is truly global. Distance does not mean disconnection, however, thanks to alumni who give their time to establishing and running alumni groups and community networks across the world.

There are currently more than 40 groups and networks spanning the globe which, throughout the year, organise a wealth of events and opportunities. With dedicated alumni volunteers at the helm, these groups and networks create invaluable spaces for alumni to make new personal and career connections. 

Describing the impact his local volunteer-led alumni group has had on him, alumnus Freddy MacKee (MSc Digital Anthropology 2015) said: "When I left London after my Master's, I was made to feel so welcome in my new city by my local alumni group. I attended plenty of social and networking events that really helped me professionally and emotionally. Through the group, I made my first few friends when I knew no one in the city and I got my first couple of job interviews. The alumni group fostered a sense of belonging and connection, and that support is still there for me as my life and its challenges change through the years.

“Just as UCL is incredibly diverse, so too are the alumni group events. I’ve attended events ranging from picnics and museum tours to industry panels and networking events. You can never predict who you are going to meet, if you’ll be giving useful advice to someone who needs it, or if you are going to be the recipient of it when you need to hear it.” 

Alumnus Scott Pedowitz (MSc Economics 2008) said: “I’ve really enjoyed being part of my local UCL alumni community. I’ve built up a network of fellow UCL alumni, who now include both friends and professional contacts. I appreciate being able to meet people with a range of interests and backgrounds, all while reminiscing about the time we had in London.”

Looking to find alumni near you? Or want to meet alumni with shared interests or identities? Volunteer-led alumni groups and networks are here to support you.

Find alumni groups and networks

Empowering future generations

Many alumni volunteer by mentoring current students. When alumni share their time, skills and expertise in this way, they make a real difference to our students’ lives, supporting them to gain the confidence they need to start preparing for their future careers.

John McNamara, a BA History student in his second year at UCL, said: “Thanks to my mentor, I have gained a more comprehensive sense of how I want my career to progress. She's provided me with several useful tips for career development and has given me CV advice. She has also been able to introduce me to some useful contacts who have been kind enough to offer me a placement for two weeks over the summer.”

For students, mentoring relationships with alumni are so powerful because they can talk to someone who has travelled the same path before. Another student, who connected with an alumni mentor this year, said: “It has been really inspiring to talk to someone who was in similar shoes to me and succeeded. My mentor has helped me to feel more confident about networking and advancing my career.” 

Could you too benefit from tapping into the expertise of your UCL alumni community? A great place to start is the official group for UCL alumni on LinkedIn where you can ask for insights, guidance or help.

Join the LinkedIn group

Words of wisdom

Each year, many alumni generously volunteer as speakers at UCL events, whether at student recruitment events, graduation or as part of our professional development programme, UCL Connect.

Whatever the event might be, by sharing their experiences and success stories, alumni speakers inspire their audience, empower them with new knowledge and offer practical insights into various academic and career paths.

A current MSc Statistics student, who recently attended a UCL Connect event, said: “The alumni speaker was so warm and had such great energy and enthusiasm. I gained a lot of knowledge from them, and I still put my learnings into practice today.” 

Explore recordings of UCL Connect events

A huge thank you to all alumni who’ve supported UCL in the last year. We are so grateful for your support.