Alumni Relations & Engagement

Catherine Conisbee Former Alumni Relations & Communications Officer

When I reflect on the last academic year, what comes to mind first and foremost is the resilience and community spirit that Mansfielders have demonstrated throughout 2020/21. Despite much of the College’s activities taking place under varying Covid restrictions, our community has managed to stay connected and forge new bonds.

At the end of Michaelmas 2020, as part of Mansfield’s Community Week and Giving Day activities in October, we were delighted to give alumni the opportunity to catch-up with current and emeritus Mansfield Fellows during two ‘Online Alumni Reunion’ events. It was such a pleasure to hear those attending reminisce about Oxford tutorials and share in their memories of student life.

In February we started 2021 in style, as we witnessed alumni going head-to-head in a battle of wits against Mansfield Fellows in an online ‘Mansfield does University Challenge’ quiz, presided over by Principal (and Quizmaster) Helen Mountfield. The teams came prepared with their homemade buzzers, from pots and pans to squeaky toys and bicycle bells, and I was, as ever, struck by the resourcefulness and creativity of our community.

In March and July, we welcomed alumni to meet with current students and recent leavers as part of a programme of online careers events, providing them with an invaluable insight into what it’s like to work in a wide variety of sectors, from business and law to the creative industries. These sessions have been hugely inspiring, and we cannot thank our guest speakers enough for being so generous with their time and for their willingness to share their experiences of life after graduation.

Following the success of this year’s online careers events programme, we have worked with the Mansfield College Alumni Association (MCAA) to launch a new pilot mentoring programme. This has already seen a number of current students successfully partnered with alumni at all stages of their careers.

I would like to take this opportunity to extend sincere thanks to the MCAA for all their work ensuring the success of the pilot programme.

‘It has been a real honour to be one of the Mentors on the pilot scheme and help guide a current student as they work out what they want to do after they leave Oxford. It hasn’t been too long since I graduated which means that I remember very clearly how daunting it was, so it’s great to be able to make that transition easier for someone else, as well as get to know another English student a bit better. I’d really recommend sharing the skills that you’ve learnt since you graduated, with a current student through being a Mentor, and am proud to have been a part of something so special.’

Serena Arthur (English, 2016), Mentor

I’m delighted by the positive feedback that we have had from alumni and students who have taken part in both the careers events and mentoring programme. It is great to see that these have given the participants such rewarding experiences.

We in the Development Office are always keen to hear from alumni interested in volunteering their time to talk to students about careers. If you are considering taking part in a future careers session or mentoring at Mansfield, do please get in touch: development@mansfield.ox.ac.uk.

As we were unable to travel to visit Mansfield alumni based overseas this year, we were excited to meet many of you in April, as part of our online events sessions for alumni based in the USA and Asia. The Principal, Tess McCormick (Development Director) and I enjoyed talking with those who attended, and we are keen to do more online events for alumni based internationally in the coming academic year.

Our final alumni event of the academic year was a ‘Bring Your Own Picnic’ – our first in-person alumni get-together since the pandemic began. It was lovely to see friends gathered in small groups on the Quad, taking in the College’s familiar surroundings once again.

Over the summer our team have been joined by Mansfield graduate Fran Rigby (Geography, 2018). Fran has been doing an incredible job working in the Development Office as Events & Communications Assistant – helping to spread the word about Mansfield and the activities of our community via social media and supporting the production of Mansfield magazine.

I believe this year’s magazine theme, ‘resilience’, is very fitting, as our community has shown once again that Mansfield, and Mansfielders, not only survive but thrive in a crisis.

In 2021/22 the Development team will again strive to create an annual alumni programme that enables our community to stay connected with College and to each other. Our aim is to ensure that being a Mansfielder continues to be an enriching experience.

You can contact the Development Office any time at development@mansfield.ox.ac. uk. We are always very pleased to hear from you. With thanks to Catherine Conisbee, former Alumni Relations Officer, who left Mansfield in October 2021. Top left picture above, left to right: Lynsey Evans, former Data Officer (left College in October 2021); Eleanor Crawford, Regular Giving Manager; Gemma McPhail, Alumni Relations Manager; Tess McCormick, Development Director; Fran Rigby, Events & Communications Assistant.

‘I’ve found the mentoring experience to be really encouraging. In particular, the past year has made almost everything feel very distant, so to connect with and gain insight into someone else’s experience has opened my eyes to all the different avenues that actually are available. Through the mentorship, I’ve learnt to challenge my perspective of what doesn’t feel possible, and instead explore what I actually want to purposefully pursue.’

Natasha Andrew (English, 2018), Mentee