 Ever since I was 13 I've been interested in tackling global problems and what better thing to study than development studies. I just feel like development studies was the one course that involved everything I was passionate about. I'm not really an economics fan but in development studies I would find certain theories that I could understand and apply to other interests of mine like politics so I just felt like it put together everything well. I didn't have to focus on one course. I could find everything in development studies. I think it's a really great way about learning about the world, history, politics, economics, culture. It's kind of got all the best bit of everything in one degree I think and I wouldn't change it for the world. It wasn't until my history teacher in college was like you're really passionate about social justice issues. I was like well no and she was like well I feel like it would be the best university for you and your sister actually so I applied and low in the hold I was impressed and I loved it. I think the generic answer is the people you meet which is true but I think it's engaging with different people from different backgrounds and on social topics, politics, anything and so ours is really just a place where everyone from everywhere gets together and I think that's my main memory from SOAS. The diversity, you know, all the different people. You have everyone from activists to musicians to, you know, sports people and academics. It's such a great bunch of people just in one little university. We don't just look at development in the abstract so for example we don't just look at water development and assume that building a well will be the same whether you're working in Bangladesh or Cameroon or somewhere in Bolivia. We actually take a contextual and focused look at what development means in regions such as Africa and Asia and even Latin America. Many open options and go to many of the seminars and series and everything that's going on because you don't just learn in the classroom but you learn outside of the classroom as well. Take advantage of all the societies, get to know your faculty, get to know the staff because literally everyone at SOAS is so amazing so don't let that chance go to waste. To say that to all of our graduates, we're really pleased with you, we're really proud of you and I hope that the knowledge that you've learned here will be of use. One of my colleagues talks about knowledge is often like dormant and then it's only when you're doing something and then suddenly you remember that thing you thought was completely abstract.