Hear from colleagues who are taking time to contribute to graduation week, find out about their role and what they enjoy about it. It's a chance to see some of the work that goes on behind the scenes to help make graduation week a success.

Behind the scenes...

Wai Wah Tsang, Student Recruitment Support Co-ordinator, SROAS
Role at graduation: Seating Team Leader

My usual job involves…
assisting with the student recruitment activities in Europe, Russia and Associated states, as well as Africa and in the UK. This involves supporting officers who would attend these events as well as liaising with our overseas offices, provide excellent customer service to prospective students and to utilise our best efforts to convert them to enrolled students here at Warwick. I am also involved with UCAS exhibitions that occur across the UK and often attend these fairs to represent Warwick.

But during graduation week I…
will be the Seating Team Leader. The seating team ensure that the set-up of the Butterworth Hall corresponds to each ceremony as seating plans will always differ for each event. We work very closely with the Registration team to check for vacant seats and ensure that all graduands are seated correctly as this can affect the order of the degree certificates. All this is done of course with a smile and delivered in a friendly manner. As a final check, before the graduands are about to go on stage, I double check that everyone is present, and in order, to proceed and collect their degrees.

I really enjoy being involved with…
the whole process of the degree congregation as it gives me the chances to witness everyone celebrate being awarded their degrees after such hard work and sacrifice. It’s a privilege to be surrounded by positivity and joyfulness.

Graduation week is unique because…
I get to see so many volunteers from different departments work so well together to delivery each ceremony with the highest level of service. Getting to see the students graduate is great, but also those who I helped recruit to come into the University of Warwick. To see them go from prospective student to being awarded their degrees from Warwick is an amazing feeling. I hope to graduate myself from my part-time degree at Warwick in 4 year’s time and to visualise myself graduating is just one of many motivating factors.

If I could change one thing about graduation it would be…
to keep the rain away. It slightly ruins what is a lovely occasion for the graduands and their friends and family and their photos.

Not everyone knows that…
the team work very hard to ensure that the degree certificates are sorted in the correct order according to the programme, but also edit lists to ensure that pronunciations of names are noted to the speakers lists. I will have to ensure that my name is pronounced correctly too when the time comes.

What would you say to colleagues considering getting involved?
it’s great to be involved. Yes it’s busy and stressful at times, but it is very rewarding once the ceremonies are complete and you have been congratulated on a job well done.

In three words, what invaluable tip or advice would you give graduands?

Continue to inspire!