Hi all – hoping you are all doing well in such strange times (I am sure you have heard this phrase a lot!)
My name is Rhona, and I am a new BILT Student Fellow. I am currently studying MSc International Development which I am loving – even through technical Zoom issues! This is my fourth year living and studying in Bristol having finished my Politics and International Relations undergraduate degree this year.
After growing up in a small town in Northumberland (the rural county basically in Scotland), it was quite a scary transition moving, not only to the South, but also to a busy city like Bristol. My 18-year-old self was terrified. However, despite a rocky start, I am forever grateful that I moved here. The city is an incredible place to live – both exciting and welcoming. The University has helped me to shape who I am today – consistently challenging me and opening my eyes in an academic and personal sense. I threw myself into the University Student community – joining society committees made me appreciate the importance of collaboration, teamwork and innovation.
After being a member of the student community for over 3 years, I am excited to get to know the academic teaching community and help to spear head collaboration between the two! This year, me and other Student Fellows will be collaborating on all the key themes of BILT which will be largely an experiment, but one I know will be interesting. It means that we will be able to share knowledge, link the different themes together, bring in our different perspectives and it will really enhance the level of teamwork amongst the Fellows. I hope that this opportunity will allow me to explore and innovate new pathways to learning and development as well as help me to understand the ‘behind the scenes’ of the university that I love. I really feel empowered that, in a way, I am representing students through bringing a student perspective and experience to conversations.
I am so excited to get started! I am truly passionate about the importance of listening to different ideas, sharing knowledge and collaborative work so I would love it if you got in touch. I already have some ideas that I want to share so stay tuned!
Rhona Wilkinson BILT Student Fellow 20/21 working on the projects – Creating online communities – Assessment and feedback – Students as researchers -Decolonisation.