Humans of Warwick - Marianna Patrick

Marianna Patrick

Research Fellow, School of Education, Learning and Communication Sciences

“Warwick has always felt like home.”

“Years ago, when I was at high school in Cyprus, ‘University of Warwick’ was just a name on a list of universities that I considered applying to.

Warwick was the last stop on a week-long tour of campuses I did with my parents. Within minutes of stepping out of the car, something clicked. The campus, the energy, the people, everything just felt right.

I moved here to study Politics and International Studies (PAIS) as an undergraduate. The transition to university life was smooth. I attended an international school back home, and joining a community as diverse and globally minded as Warwick was fun and exciting. I instantly knew I belonged here. I knew what to expect and was also prepared for the rainy weather. The separate taps though, they took some getting used to!

Almost a decade after my undergraduate degree, I returned to Warwick to do a PhD. I had studied and worked in six different countries by that point. Picking up and relocating every couple of years, I lived in places like Hong Kong, France, and Armenia. But everywhere I went, I always managed to find new connections through friends back to Warwick. So, I always felt like I never actually left the community, and after travelling so much, returning to Warwick was like coming home.

Warwick has become a huge part of my life. I’ve built a community here, made close friends, and even met my partner. He moved over from the US to do research at Warwick, and we ended up living in staff campus accommodation for a while, where we’ve mostly enjoyed being woken up by honking geese in the mornings!

My PhD research focused on how people tell stories about places, so I’ve always been curious about how we narrate our experiences, what shapes us, what anchors us. Reading 'Humans of Warwick' has been a reminder of how many different paths lead here, and how our stories shape this university.

It took some convincing from colleagues for me to share my story, but in the end, it felt fitting. Warwick has shaped so much of it.”