Seven questions with... Mara Gheorghe

What does your role involve and how long have you been at UCL? What was your previous role?

I'm front of house at Print Room Café - aside from making coffee, taking food orders and helping to manage the café at busy times by delegating roles, I also arrange the staff rota and train new starters.

I accepted this role as full-time after four years as a student here studying BA Jewish History and working in the café part-time.

What working achievement or initiative are you most proud of?

It's the busiest café on campus and usually we have about seven/eight staff members, but I've had to work in situations where we serve the same amount of people but with only four of us. We always reach the same goals though!

More recently, out of the 11 people who work here now, I helped to recruit seven of them.

Tell us about a project you are working on now which is top of your to-do list?

Now that I'm full-time and I've been here four years, I'm helping to make the café run more efficiently by being responsible for staff training when they start. 

What was your first job straight out of university?

This one!

What is your favourite and least favourite thing about London?

I love the 'buzz' of London - there's always something happening and it's nice working at the heart of campus where there are always people coming and going. Although the worst thing is the weekend crowds - that's a special kind of 'buzz'!

Who would be your dream dinner guests?

It's cheesy, but I'm from Romania originally so a lot of my family are over there. It would be nice to have us all together in one place for once. 

What would it surprise people to know about you?

My age!