Celebrating Alumni Milestone Anniversaries

Imperial alumni share with us their fondest memories at the College and why they have decided to give a gift to the College to support students in recognition of their milestone year.

My Imperial education gave me the opportunity to get to know people from so many countries, so many different backgrounds!  I learnt to respect and acknowledge all the differences that makes each one of us unique and special. Something that I am now implementing when working with diverse teams, with people from all over the world.

My first day at Imperial was the most memorable. I remember walking on the campus not knowing anyone and I also remember my last day walking at the same campus – everything seemed so different, familiar and has become so personal over the years!

Studying at the College has been a door-opener in my career and led me in achieving many career goals– but its far more than this – being among some really accomplished, talented and overachieving people, allowed me to challenge more than what I was capable of. For sure, I was not the best student in my class, but being among so competent, hardworking & diverse people, allowed me to stretch myself – that’s probably the greatest skill I got!

What inspired me to make a gift in recognition of my milestone year is the opportunity to support students around the world in acquiring experiences, knowledge and valuable tools for their future, like I did as a student of Imperial College. I hope that my gift will contribute to the college’s efforts to support its students the best way possible on their learning journey

Being a member of the Imperial donor community makes me feel good and connected with the place that helped me progress in my life – it feels I am giving back with gratitude in return for all what I received during my studies!

My advice to someone considering a gift in recognition of their milestone year would be – do it, if anything else it will make you feel so happy because you will be contributing to a good cause.

I studied for six years at Imperial College London, completing an intercalated BSc and my MBBS. I loved being part of the medical school community and was heavily involved in the Students’ Union and various clubs/societies. The ability to volunteer and really be involved in student life helped me hone some skills that are still useful to me now as a pharmaceutical physician. I had an interview recently and one of my answers utilized experience from organizing events at the medical school as it was my first stab at project management!

 I think what I am most grateful for, beyond my education, is the life experience gained during formative years and friendships. Some of my best friends are from when I attended medical school and we still reminisce about the incredible times we had there! I learnt so much not just about how to become a doctor, but about life and how to navigate it.

My fondest memories are ones made with some of my close friends, such as in the lecture theatre, on hospital placements, and after hours. Studying in London was a really wonderful experience, and having left a few times I am back living in West London now and raising my children here. I have lived abroad twice but London always calls me back!

Following studying at Imperial I became a GP, medico-politician and NHS Commissioner. However, after having my children, my priorities and perspective changed. I decided to leave General Practice after seven years and joined the pharmaceutical industry.

My work in my “second career” has included working on a COVID-19 vaccine, launching an oral treatment for COVID-19 and working on several public health initiatives. My work in industry has brought me closer to science - which is what initially led me to study Medicine – and has led me to feel that I am having a positive impact on patients more widely. My children do ask me if I will go back to “being a proper doctor” soon!

What inspired me to make a gift in recognition of my milestone year is centred on how grateful I feel about the education I received at Imperial and to try and contribute in a small way. I hope my gift will benefit Imperial students who may not otherwise be able to study. Student fees have increased significantly since I was at Imperial and this is a real tragedy.

As a member of the Imperial donor community I feel good to be able to give something back and my advice to someone considering making a gift is to go for it!

Using my computing degree, I was able to look after myself and my family of 5 by working full time as a system analyst at Penn and studying for my MBA at Wharton after graduation. My career in Silicon Valley would not have been possible without my computing background.I had a fantastic time at the College as a student. I was in the Ballroom Dancing Team and President of the Chinese society. For the duration of my studies, I had a half grant and free tuition. I would not have been able to go to college if I did not have the grant.

I was inspired to make a gift in recognition of my milestone year as a token of appreciation for the education the College had given me. I hope that my gift will help someone to have a better life through research done at the College or through studying.

Being a member of the Imperial donor community makes me feel that I am contributing back to a source that helped me grow in my life.

My advice to someone considering a gift in recognition of their milestone year would be to do something special on this meaningful anniversary. 

After graduating, my career highlights range from an optimization model that yielded millions of savings for a business company, with international publications, all the way to my present-day work in musicology, where I often use the statistical and information-science tools I first studied at Imperial. I also learnt from my supervisors at Imperial the flexibility that allowed me, in difficult times, to adapt my knowledge to work in fields different from the one I was specifically trained for.  When I was a student at Imperial, the thing I enjoyed the most was the unwavering support and encouragement from my teachers and professors. The day the late Professor Martin Beale told me, in very encouraging terms, which were my strengths in my field of research (and later work) will forever be my fondest memory.

What makes me proud to be an Imperial alumnus is the huge amount of scientific and technological advances that have been produced at the College. Also, more personally, to have been in contact with world-leading researchers and teachers; I am still in contact with one of my supervisors, a leader in his field, yet always kind and accessible. I am also impressed at how Imperial has evolved though the decades since I got my PhD.

I was inspired to make a gift in recognition of my milestone year because it would help young students less fortunate than I was, and therefore support Imperial College. When I was a student, the British Council paid for my tuition fees, and my parents paid for the cost of living in London (initially in very humble lodgings in rundown Earl’s Court flats, later in the Lillian Penson Hall). With this support, I was able to complete my studies and research in just three years.

I hope that my gift will help students at Imperial to gain an advanced professional knowledge through studying at a world-class university. Being a member of the Imperial donor community makes me feel proud of my contributions, and my advice to someone considering a gift to recognise their milestone year would be to donate in proportion to your personal financial situation.

During my time as a student at Imperial College London I enjoyed meeting and being inspired by some of the world’s greatest scientific thinkers. My final year was undoubtedly my best: I took part in lots of project work that consolidated my learning in the previous years. It was a much more relaxed year and I particularly enjoyed studying in groups within my class.

My career highlights include becoming a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology, twenty one years after becoming a Chartered Engineer. My studies at Imperial helped me to think in a more structured and logical way to resolving both technical and managerial problems. 

Imperial is consistently rated the best scientific university in the UK and one of the best in the world. When I tell people that I graduated from Imperial, it impresses them and I feel extremely proud. 

During my time as a student, I was sponsored by my future employers in the electricity industry who paid for my subsistence costs and tuition fees. The support I was given made me feel very worthy of such an investment and gave me a strong sense of purpose.

What inspired me to make a gift in recognition of my milestone year is the opportunity to support the next generation of world-leading scientists and engineers who will graduate from Imperial to change the world for the better. I hope that my gift will enable and inspire current scientists and engineers at Imperial to enjoy and excel in their studies.

My advice to someone considering a gift in recognition of their milestone year would be to think of the successes and contribution to society you have made since graduating and how you can help others at Imperial to follow you.

Imperial alumnus Anuraj Bismal graduated from the Faculty of Natural Sciences in 1987. To celebrate his 35th milestone year, he led the reunion for the Department of Physics Class of 1987. Anuraj also decided to make a generous gift to support students at the College at the 2022 Alumni Weekend donor reception, and shared with us his feedback from the event;

“I want to thank you and the team for creating a welcoming environment! I enjoyed meeting students at the Union bar and at the donor reception. As we bumped into students during our time there, we were filled with pride and hope for the future.”