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Alumni Mentor: Joyce Paesan

30 April 2018

Like the idea of mentoring, but not sure where to start? At the UCL Alumni Online Community (AOC), it's easy to do: simply create your profile to connect with thousands of UCL students and alumni seeking academic and professional advice.

Alumni Mentor: Joyce Paesan

Joyce Paesan (MA Managing Archaeological Sites, UCL, 2010) is currently acting as a mentor - read on to find out why she finds mentoring so rewarding:

How has you career developed since graduation? Tell us more about your current role.

I graduated from UCL in 2010, and started a temporary role at the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in Paris soon after. This involved assisting the Director and Senior Programme Officer of the World Heritage Unit in the work ICOMOS does in the context of the implementation of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. My next job was at the Open Air Museum of Bokrijk in Belgium, where I worked as a researcher and project curator.

After four years I moved to the Salisbury Museum as an Exhibitions Officer, where my main responsibility was to develop and manage a programme of exhibitions. I then decided it was time to move back into archaeology, and took on my current role as Heritage Coordinator for the 'Intermunicipal Immovable Heritage Service of the Lower Campine Region' (IOED Lage Kempen). The IOED, together with various heritage partners, works to map out, valorise and preserve their immovable heritage for future generations. One of my projects is to prepare a management plan for making an archaeological area of 'Celtic Field systems' accessible for the public - this is exactly what I studied at UCL!

What motivated you to get involved in the UCL Alumni Online Mentoring Scheme? Did you have a mentor or is it something you wish you had had?

I had a great supervisor at UCL who was really helpful, but as a student I never really had a mentor. It's really useful to have someone give you tips and feedback, and assure you that you're heading in the right direction, and that you will get there!

What are the benefits of acting as a mentor?

I think being involved in mentoring is a privilege for both parties. You get to meet interesting people and help them to develop. It's all about letting them see that they have the abilities, and encouraging them to believe more in themselves.

How do you think the scheme helps mentees?

I know that when I was a student, sometimes I couldn't see the wood for the trees, especially when it came to finding a job - there are so many websites and organisations to search through! It can be useful to get that information from somebody who has more experience. The AOC is also a way for mentees to build up a network for the future.

What would you say to someone thinking of getting involved in the mentor scheme?

Just do it!

Are you proud to be a UCL mentor?

Yes I am! I spent a wonderful time at UCL and I am proud to be part of the alumni community: mentoring ensures I stay involved with that community.

Join the UCL Alumni Online Community now to find your own mentor or to volunteer to share your expertise with the next generation.