Buddy Scheme Volunteer of the Year winners….

We are excited to announce that Maheen Khambatta and Wanning Bi recently won Buddy Scheme Volunteer of the Year at the annual SU Student Awards! 

A massive congratulations to all of those who were shortlisted and a special mention to Maheen and Wanning who have made such fantastic and significant contributions to their buddies’ lives this year! We recently interviewed the winners to find out how they felt about their win and to hear about their experiences as Buddy Scheme volunteers:

Congratulations on being one of the winners of the Buddy Scheme volunteer of the year! How did you feel when you heard you were nominated and had won?

 Maheen:  Thank you Maritsa! It was undoubtedly a great feeling. Having your efforts recognised and being translated into an award got me pretty excited to say the least! (Quite literally danced around the living room!) I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all those who nominated me and the panel that decided I was worthy of receiving this award. I’m really glad I could make a positive impact on all my buddies’ time at Sussex. 

Wanning: It is an honour to have been nominated alongside five dedicated peers. I am humbled to have won this award and grateful to the Buddy Scheme and Sussex Students’ Union for this opportunity and recognition.

Why did you decide to volunteer for the Buddy Scheme?

 Maheen:  I wanted to give back the same comforting welcome I got when I joined Sussex as an international student. I was slightly anxious not knowing anyone before-hand but my buddy truly went above and beyond to help me settle in and was always ready to help me. I was inspired by his generosity of time and personal interaction that he put forth, which eased me into campus life, so I signed up to become a volunteer in my second term.

Being a part of the Buddy Scheme has honestly been a very rewarding and satisfying experience.

Wanning: The Buddy Scheme is a warm and welcoming community for all students at Sussex. It represents a sense of unity, bringing together students from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The Buddy Scheme supported me in my fresher’s year and helped me settle in. As this is my final year at Sussex, I really wanted to give back to this community. This academic year has been particularly tough because of the pandemic, and I wanted to do my best to help my buddies cope with all the challenges and uncertainties.

What has been the best thing about being a buddy?

 Maheen: Making new friends from around the world, whilst also lending support to better their university experience has definitely been a highlight. Brainstorming how to shift and host events online instead of the usual in-person ones, was a fun challenge as an Ambassador too. I have definitely gained more experiences and friends.

Wanning: Being a buddy has been a most wonderful and rewarding experience. I was paired with buddies from five different countries, who came from distinctively different cultural backgrounds. For me personally, the best thing about being a buddy is to meet and get to know fellow students from around the world and help them adjust to university life in the UK. I had the chance to organise meetings for my buddies to connect with each other; I also got to talk to them individually and gave advice on how to cope with university life under the pandemic, based on the different challenges each of them was facing. I wanted to make sure they wouldn’t feel alone, and that they knew I was there to help during difficult times. What’s more, being a buddy is an excellent opportunity to develop skills like time management, team coordination, multi-tasking, etc.

How have you adjusted to being a buddy during the pandemic?

Maheen: Being a buddy in a pandemic comes with its own set of challenges. The crucial face-to-face interaction and support you would normally be lending students is completely missing. Everything had to be done remotely, which sometimes may not have had its desired effect. However, that being said, social media played a vital role in being able to connect me with my buddies. It became an important (and only) means of contact, where my buddies messaged me with any query they had and I did my best to guide and support them.

So essentially, I’d say it’s been a lot of messaging and checking-up on them via the internet and making the best out of the current situation.

Wanning: I didn’t get to meet any of my buddies in person, due to the pandemic; but I made sure we would always stay connected and held regular Zoom meetings for all my buddies to share their campus / remote studying experience with me. Since some of my buddies couldn’t come to the UK, I made a list of important university points of contact (e.g., international student support, visa and immigration office, student life centre, etc.), and made sure they knew how to reach out for help for their queries.

Furthermore, I encouraged them to participate in virtual events organised by the Buddy Scheme and various societies, to make the most of the online studying experience. I hope all my buddies felt like they were a part of the Sussex community.

What would you say to people considering being a buddy for the next academic year?

Maheen: I would strongly recommend joining the Buddy Scheme, either as a volunteer or a new student. It can truly make the world of a difference to your time at Sussex. You end up forming great bonds with the people you volunteer with and your buddies as well. Sometimes its people you normally would never have met, that become your friends at the end of it. Making a positive impact in someone’s life and being a supportive friend, especially during these trying times, is what makes being a buddy worthwhile.

Wanning: To fellow Sussex students considering becoming a buddy: no more hesitance, the time is now! Please join the Buddy Scheme as a buddy if you could devote just a few hours every week to get to know how someone else’s week has been, and to support them when they faced challenges, and to celebrate their success and progress in life. Join the Buddy Scheme, be the change you wanted to see.

Maheen – Buddy Volunteer of the Year

Wanning Bi – Buddy Volunteer of he Year