Alumni Contributions

Name: Melissa Bryant

Year of graduation: 2014

Degree studied: MSc Global Politics (the first year it was offered!)

City and country of origin: Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis

Current job: UK Media Lead, World Bank

City and country you currently live in: London, United Kingdom

The World Bank. As an International Relations student, it’s an organisation you will inevitably come across during your studies. And it’s probably an organisation you could see yourself working at some day, helping to support its mission of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity.

Honestly, when I applied for my current role, I was pessimistic about my chances of success. The competition for development jobs is fierce, and I was no stranger to rejection. I didn’t even think I was an exact match for all the criteria listed in the job advert. But I have always been a fan of taking well-informed risks. After all, it was this mentality that led me to Durham.

In 2013, I had finished my undergraduate degree in the Caribbean, and was contemplating my options. Canada seemed like an easy choice – closer to home and more links to friends and family in the diaspora. But I could not get the Global Politics MSc at Durham out of my head. So when by chance I ran into a Durham alumnus in St. Kitts who raved about his experience, it seemed like it was fate.

I didn’t expect the transition to be easy. Transporting a child of the Caribbean to the north of England in a drizzly September was always going to be iffy. And even now, though I love many things about Britain, I can’t say the weather is high on that list. But Durham certainly is.

Arriving at Ustinov was almost like an intellectual overload. Discussions at the GCR, both planned and spontaneous, were always riveting. My worldview expanded as I became privy to the perspectives of people who I could never have dreamed of meeting on my 68 square mile island. I never felt as though my background made me less credible; instead, I could discern the respect that my peers had for my contributions.

I never considered applying to another college when I was looking at Durham. And it’s a decision I’ve never regretted. Being in Ustinov meant being part of a community. It meant I had ready-made companions for adventures to places like the Lake District, and it gave me mates who would helpfully induct me into British pop culture beyond my rudimentary knowledge of the Spice Girls. My time at Durham will always remain a highlight. Though I’ve been in London working in international development since the summer of 2014, I never forget where it all (figuratively) started; at Ustinov College.

In my day job as UK Media Lead for the World Bank, I rely heavily on the principles that made me feel so welcome at Ustinov – the acceptance and promotion of diversity, both in thought and in cultural backgrounds.

While the last year has been tough for everyone, it’s knowing that communities like these still exist that make me optimistic we’ll get through all this, together.

I didn’t even think I was an exact match for all the criteria listed in the job advert. But I have always been a fan of taking well-informed risks.

Name: Ojasa Arya

Year of graduation: 2017

Degree studied: LLM in International Trade and Commercial Law

City and country of origin: Kolkata, India

Current job: Associate in Fox & Mandal

City and country you currently live in: Kolkata, India

Ustinov will always hold a special place in my heart.

The college gave me memories that I will cherish all my life. The international and multicultural exposure that the community at Ustinov provides introduced me to the friends I now have that come from so many different countries. The environment and the vibe you get while living in Ustinov is very positive. From the time spent in the kitchen with your flatmates, sharing and tasting food of different cultures, to just chilling in the Fisher House Bar - one can never feel lonely at Ustinov. I remember once, when I was in the common room working on some submissions till late into the night, I ended up being the last one in the common room when the porter came by and we ended up chatting for a while. It was these small things and little gestures that made Ustinov such a delightful place. The best part of Ustinov were the regular events that were held. My favourite were the movie nights and pub quizzes. The formal dinners make you feel like a part of college society and is a wonderful experience. The most awaited event was definitely the summer BBQ. It was surely one of the best days I had while in Ustinov.

One of the best experiences I had while living in Ustinov was working in the Ustinov College Bar. It not only provided an opportunity to interact and socialise with people, but also helped me grow independent and responsible. The Fisher House café and bar was the ‘Central Perk’ for me and my friends. I surely spent more time at Fishers (as it was famously called) than in my own room. The café was a saviour. I still crave the food the lady would serve with such a warm smile.

Ustinov has been the most beautiful experience of my life. It made Durham feel like home and gave me friends who turned into family.

The best part of Ustinov were the regular events that were held. My favourite were the movie nights and pub quizzes.

Name: Kevin Spreitz

Year of graduation: 2003

Degree studied: MBA

City and country of origin: Toronto, Canada

Current job: Art Photographer, Gallerist

City and country you currently live in: Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico

Musings on Creativity, Renewal, the Life of an Artist, and a Pandemic, in No Particular Order.

I became an artist (fine art & documentary photography) after I spent time in the Canadian Navy and then the business world. The Navy led to my Durham MBA, which led to a few years in management consulting. And that led to a conscious decision to force a renewal towards a path of my own choosing, and my passion. This decision made me a happy person.

I think if we are to be Captain of our life’s voyage, we must never feel that what we are doing at any point is the endgame. Renewal is a state, not a destination. I’m writing about how I became an artist,

but in part 2 of this article, in five years (allow me my dreams, damn it!), I could be writing to you how my being an artist for a time led to my current career as a Lumberjack…or a Lion-tamer. Or maybe I’ll still be an artist.

In fact, I would posit that our Durham education acts as a structural support for the framework of renewal in career and life. If you studied French, or Archeology, or Law, who’s to say that your time in Durham not only leads to that career… obviously…but also to an adjacent – or completely different – opportunity down the line just because a professor remembered your keen mind a decade earlier, or a favourite pub-mate had you in mind for something? When I was studying my MBA, I never dreamed that I would make my living from my photographs or have a gallery, but I use my MBA every day. I am my own finance director, operations director, strategy director, and on and on. My art drives me, but my Durham MBA allows me to see it for what it is – a business that provides for my family.

I have often been asked the question, “Why did you become a professional photographer and artist?”. The short, and perhaps lazy answer is, I had too. I’m not kidding. It was always in the marrow of my bones. I was given a Kodak Instamatic as a Christmas gift by my aunt when I was 10. I remember that yellow box, and then the feeling – in the marrow of my bones! – when I later received the first developed prints from the camera store in the mall. (Remember those? Camera stores? And malls?) It was magic! Immediately I felt that wonder of making a two-dimensional graphic representation of our three-dimensional world. Immediately I felt the power of interpreting my world through creativity. Yeah, I wasn’t the typical 10-year-old.

The camera store staff quickly adopted me as I was responsible for 18.2% of the store’s revenue. Later, as developing film at a store was becoming a thing of the past, I went to university. I continued my passion, but it was always for me, just for me. It was my creative expression. Friends might ask to see my latest photographs, and I reluctantly agreed, only because I wondered why they would want to see them. The digital revolution came and continually improved, and I kept shooting. I have a life in pictures.

I’m grateful that my management consulting career allowed me to indulge my love of travel and curiosity. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was building my portfolio. Eventually, someone in the business community asked if they could buy one. Then another. And another. When a gentleman contacted me and asked if I would make ten museum-grade photographs with a nautical theme for his vacation home, I thought, hmm, maybe I could really make a go of this? Tied to this was the thought, ‘maybe that wouldn’t be a bad idea’, as my love of solving business and human problems was diminishing. I loved the work and the people I met, but like most things

The short, and perhaps lazy answer is, I had too. I’m not kidding. It was always in the marrow of my bones.

in life, the seed of a desire for change sneaks up on you. I loved my work, and I loved my picture-making, but one day I realized I loved the picture-making more.

I think renewal, or at least the notes your soul sings when it’s calling you for renewal, works that way. It’s not a bolt out of the blue. You meet a person, you like spending time with them, and then – sneakily – one day you realize you want to spend more time with them than anyone else. You have a job, and you like that job, but maybe you also have another side job, or you have a hobby, and one day you realize you would rather do that than this. Renewal, that sneaky songstress.

Renewal’s cousin, the elusive and muselike Creativity, plays a part in all of our lives, if you are willing to let it come to you. In the business world, it helped me visualize the solution to problems as a canvas needing to be completed. The problem was the blank canvas, and I would imagine, “what do I want this canvas to look like?”. Similarly, this article started as a blank screen, and I hope it was finished by letting creativity come to me. That’s not saying it was “art” that completed it, or it is art that solves business problems. Hard graft and knowing the facts matters, but the execution can be informed by the elements of creativity and an artistic mindset. I don’t believe that there is anyone who just isn’t creative. I think of the remarkably accurate bell curve – every endeavour on earth has its failing performers, its adequate middle, and its rock stars. Even rock stars have their rock stars.

Somedays I’m at my desk in my gallery, and not a single person comes in. Other days I see a lot of visitors and most of my day is chatting with them about their lives or my work. Presently, I have two commercial clients for product work, and I have two fine art photographs I need to package and ship for two clients. I also have to do the admin-y things that everyone must do. I reserve a few days a month just to go out and see what I see. Maybe a photograph comes out of it. I never get too stressed if I don’t take a good shot for a while, for I know it will come. It’s a quiet life, but fulfilling. And no boss.

If I were to give any advice to would-be photographers and artists, it would be this. Don’t. I became a ‘pro’ shooter at the dawn of smartphones and “a camera in every pocket”. I finally opened my own gallery a couple of years before a global pandemic would stalk the land. I write that in jest. Partly. One must become what they were made for, and one must strive to learn what they are made for. And that’s not necessarily only in the arts. I met in my business career some incredibly talented people that had a true gift for numbers. I would say, how lucky they are, loving and excelling at what they do, doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing. The word gift is intentional. It’s a gift to be doing what you were born to do. I remember my navy days. Some of the ship operations people, the arrogant ones, would laughingly dismiss the pay clerks. How sad to be a clerk when we are the tip of the spear! I would say to my fellow officers, “how long do you think the navy would last if we didn’t get paid?” And when I would go to the admin office, those gifted pay clerks knew every single rule and regulation, every single benefit I qualified for, and had me sorted quickly and professionally. If we are all honest, that’s the backbone of every company we work for, or if self-employed, the contractors that help us to be selfemployed. The work-horses, not the show-horses. The word artist can mean two things. There is the profession, Artist. I make my money selling the art I create. But there is also the second order meaning, difficult to articulate but perhaps best

The pandemic has been brutal to most, including artists. But like a good horse, I work, not show. I do the dreary parts that every job entails, even the glamorous jobs. I cold-call, I network, I continue to improve my skill, I create. I renew.

The pandemic has been brutal to most, including artists. But like a good horse, I work, not show. I do the dreary parts that every job entails, even the glamorous jobs. I cold-call, I network, I continue to improve my skill, I create. I renew. Sometimes I’m even commissioned to create portraits or photograph high-end homes when people want my exacting quality and artistic vision, despite rarely advertising these genres as part of my repertoire as my passion lies in my fine art prints. I enjoy these commissions, and it fortifies my savings for the inevitable troughs in the cyclical art-buying sphere. I have been incredibly fortunate to develop a following in different parts of the world, of the right kind of clients, who value photographic art. I could write another essay on that – the importance of singing your song to the right audience, of marketing correctly. When I started selling my work, I understood – perhaps instinctively – that I must find those that value compelling photographs, museum-grade and limited edition, that are bought to be shown as art. End of story. Whatever your field, your industry, your dream, don’t waste a second with the wrong type of colleague, of client, of dream-maker. It’s not worth it. And don’t tell yourself they’ll come around. It’s you that must come around, and not to them. To someone else.

described as the soul of an artist, irrespective of one’s job. One might say a spiritual element, but the nonspiritualist might say a firm belief in artistry. And renewal is indivisible to that. Both meanings are correct. And perhaps the second is more important, because it is central to a person rather than just a job-description. I can’t write that is a recipe for happiness or success, but I can absolutely write that it is a life well-lived.