My name is Bethany Gormley and I am the incoming graduate trainee at Cardiff University. I graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2020 after finishing a degree in English Literature and Drama in addition to my studies I was fortunate enough to undertake a year studying abroad in Singapore. 

Fundraising formed an integral part of my university experience and in my final year I joined the committee for Valefest which is the largest student run charity festival in Europe that annually donates 100% of its profits to local charities in Birmingham. In this role, I was not only responsible for managing one of the festival's largest stages, but I was also responsible for organising and running a series of fundraising events staged throughout the year. The impact the festival's contributions were able to make to the local community really cemented my desire to work in the charity/third sector and since graduating I have spent a great deal of my time in lockdown mentoring and tutoring secondary school pupils from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds through a charity that seeks to widen academic attainment for all young people. As a result, I am also incredibly passionate about increasing accessibility to higher education and hope that this is something I can be involved in fundraising for whilst at Cardiff University. I am so grateful to be a part of the CASE graduate scheme and I can't wait to develop upon my fundraising knowledge and take on new challenges within the sector. 

My name is Eva Kyriacou and I am the CASE Graduate Trainee at UCL for 2021/2022. I studied Molecular Cell Biology at the University of York, completing a four-year Integrated Masters degree that allowed me to explore multiple, fascinating areas of Biology while refining key research and data analytical skills. As someone who loves to keep busy, I took on many extracurricular activities too. I am a keen netball player; I was a sports representative for my college at York and I dedicated many hours to volunteering for both Yorkshire-based and national charities.

A Londoner born and bred; I have now returned to the big smoke to join the wonderful Advancement team at UCL. I aim to harness my logic-based and data-focussed working style along with the problem solving and analytical skills I have acquired as a STEM student to make me a valuable member of the team this year. 
I will definitely carry-on playing netball and I have recently enjoyed bouldering so would like to explore that more. 

My name is Hanako Peace, and I am the next Graduate Trainee at the University of Bristol. As a newly graduated Bristol English literature student, I am thrilled to be able to work in the city that I have come to love throughout my undergraduate degree. During my time as a student, I was a volunteer writer for The Pachamama Project, a non-profit set up to help reduce period poverty among refugee populations. This paired my love for writing with my drive for volunteer work and allowed me to spread awareness of the project whilst gaining valuable writing experience. I also helped to organise Pachamama’s GoFundMe page for the ‘Run 50k in a Week’ campaign which was my first step into any kind of fundraising. 

I enjoy taking on new things and I am always finding new interests. I began playing saxophone when I was 8 years old and have been part of prestigious orchestras as well as briefly beginning undergraduate study in music performance at the Royal Northern College of Music in 2017. More recently, I have found excitement in sports, mainly running and volleyball. 

I am so excited to start as a CASE Trainee, expand my fundraising experience, and work at an institution and city that I love!

My name is Charlie Straw, and I am delighted to be joining the advancement team at Imperial College London. I recently graduated from Newcastle University with a first-class degree in Modern Languages (German and Japanese). In my third year at University, I studied at Dokkyo University near Tokyo. Although living in Japan challenged me, I enjoyed experiencing a new culture and forming lasting relationships with people from all over the world. 

I was an active member of the university community, volunteering to help students prepare for their study abroad programmes and representing my peers within the school as a course rep. I also volunteered as the treasurer of the Model United Nations Society which involved applying for grants from the Students’ Union and organising events for our members. Outside of university, I volunteer with the campaigns and policy teams at Parkinson’s UK, helping with national campaigns and leading local ones. My Dad has Parkinson’s, so I see first-hand the importance of this charity’s work. I hope that through my role as a CASE graduate trainee, I will have the opportunity to help support vital medical research into conditions such as Parkinson’s. 

Over the next year I want to gain a well-rounded understanding of advancement in higher education that will help me identify my strengths and preferences. I also hope to make good use of the training and mentoring provided by CASE and use the experience I get from the programme to progress in my career in the not-for-profit sector.