Student Feature: Shivali Thaker – Dean’s Award Winner!

Can you please introduce yourself and tell us what degree you are studying?

My name is Shivali Thaker and I am studying BSc Hons Business with Marketing, currently in my second year.

Why did you choose to study this degree?

I was always drawn to the creative aspect of marketing and how it blends with visual storytelling.

Why did you choose to study at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU)?

As an international student, I had seen how welcoming ARU is to international students which made it promising. The course structure for Marketing also interested me as it combined different factors in business with marketing, rather than only focusing on marketing. Being able to learn so much with ARU has broadened my options in my career.

Tell us a bit more about life as an international student at ARU!

I am originally from Namibia, and moving to the UK was definitely a big difference to back home. However, the university has great events and people who made the process a lot easier such as the weekly Icafé events by Friends International in Coslett Cafe!

Congratulations on winning a Dean’s Award, please tell us how you achieved this:

I received my award for Outstanding Engagement. I was engaging because I truly enjoyed the modules and was keen on asking questions. My lecturers and classmates also made it an enjoyable learning environment and so I liked helping my classmates in understanding certain aspects of the course or learning content.

Can you tell us about the award ceremony or presentation?

We had a complimentary lunch in the Coslett Café, which was decorated with blue and yellow balloons. Everyone was very welcoming and I sat at a table with other students in the faculty of Business and Law. After lunch, we had an amazing talk by Jo Living who shared some meaningful advice. Lastly, we were called out to receive our Dean’s Award certificate.

What is your favourite thing about studying in Cambridge?

I love the atmosphere that Cambridge offers. It is such a vibrant city of students from all over the world. It has been wonderful to meet so many different people with different cultures and learn from them.

What do you plan to do after you graduate?

I hope to pursue a master’s degree in Luxury Fashion Brand Management.

What has been your favourite moment of your study journey so far?

I really liked my second semester of first year, where we worked with Enterprise Car Club on a live brief project in my marketing module. It was great to apply theories learnt in class to an actual company and help provide solutions for them.

Finally, please share an interesting fact about yourself!

I used to be a national level contemporary dancer.