Hena Pagoo has been an Ambassador since spring 2019, and is a Debating Tutor and Outreach Tutor. Ambassadors Simon Oyegoke and Karys Spicer interviewed her recently to find out more about her experiences over the summer and what she has learnt during the pandemic
How did you keep yourself busy this summer?
During the summer, I started off by immersing myself into any online opportunity I could find to pass the time and remain productive. These were both related to my undergraduate course in Law to boost employability, as well as working online supporting the Outreach team. I did a number of hours for Outreach both in my capacity as a debating and outreach tutor and I was also very fortunate to have returned to work in retail for a duration of the summer.
What would you say has been your favourite role and are there others you would like to see more of?
Being a debating tutor is my favourite role and I am pleased to have been given the position as an outreach tutor as well. I have formed strong foundations in these roles, particularly as a debating tutor and intend on translating the skills I have learnt from the role to certain aspects of my degree. Being a debating tutor has given me essential experience and has been a key contribution to my legal studies. Supporting students with arguments and debating has also been a way to work on my personal public speaking and debating skills.
What advice do you have for other ambassadors that might be nervous to try new work opportunities they haven’t done before?
Count to three and put yourself out there! Don’t be afraid to give it a go. Prepare well in advance and have any issues clarified beforehand to avoid any difficulty within sessions. Taking on a new work opportunity can feel like diving into the deep end, but the staff are extremely supportive and understanding when it comes to trying a new role you haven’t done before; it only gets easier.
Try and focus on building a relationship with your audience too. This way you will feel comfortable and confident with your audience, as they will with you.
What would you say has been your biggest obstacle since the pandemic started?
The biggest obstacle I have faced since the pandemic started was struggling to find work experience. Studying Law, summer would have been an important period during which to obtain work experience that would bolster my employability and provide me with exposure to the legal sector. However, given the pandemic this was no longer possible. Though being a tutor has still given me the chance to work on and improve key skills during the pandemic, which translate to key skills essential for a successful legal career! For example, I was able to adapt to unforeseen challenges within sessions, whilst also managing the unreliability of technology.
Is there anything the pandemic has taught you about yourself?
The pandemic gave me much time to reflect on the stage I am currently at. It has reminded me and taught me that I am doing well with where I am in my studies. Whilst attending virtual legal events, as well as signing up to Outreach work opportunities, I was reminded of how fortunate I was to be a Tutor and Ambassador, and that my role has had such a positive impact on students in participation. By way of example, there was nothing more rewarding than witnessing the improvement of students within the outreach 6-week debating module.