One hour in the company of human rights lawyer and activist Natasha Latiff (LLB Law, 2009) and she’ll take you to some of the scariest places in the world. Places where the rights of women, low-paid workers, and marginalised communities are rarely heard, let alone fought for.

A number of Warwick alumni have been recognised for their outstanding contributions in the recent King’s Birthday Honours. Twelve individuals have each been celebrated and honoured for their tireless work and commitment, as well as the incredible impact they have on the world around them.

Anittah Owomugisha (MSc Engineering Business Management, 2023) a Chevening scholar now working as an Electrical Design Engineer at SSE plc, shares her journey, shaped by the supportive Warwick community. It was the Warwick connections, from faculty to peers, that played a pivotal role in propelling the start of her career.

Disha Naik (MEng Mechanical Engineering (with Intercalated Year), 2020), is revving up the world of motorsports. Her head start came from Warwick Racing, a student-run motorsport project team, delivered by WMG as a group project in collaboration with the School of Engineering. Here she pursued her passion for motorsports and helped break down diversity barriers.

Earlier this year, alumna and activist Jo Todd (BA English and European Literature, 1990) received a CBE in recognition of 30+ years’ service to the victims of domestic abuse. From volunteering at a refuge in the outskirts of London, to more than 20 years as CEO of Respect - the pioneering charity tackling the root of the problem - Jo has dedicated her life to making a positive difference. And she’s not finished yet.

If you enjoy Ukrainian cuisine, you may own a copy of Olia Hercules’ (BA Italian and International Studies, 2006) recipe books. But, you may be surprised to hear that Olia’s journey started not in the kitchen, but in the corridors of Warwick.

What happens when you have no choice but to flee your home and leave all you know behind? Can you ever utilise your experiences and turn them into opportunities for others? When Attal Shams’ journey of conflict, displacement, and resilience became the focus of his dissertation, he didn’t think anyone would be interested. But now, those experiences have become the driving force to him making a real difference to others.

What makes a good communicator? We may think we know, but how many of us really excel when communicating? A successful career in sales and marketing led Tim Pollard (MBA, 2003) to a career-defining curiosity where he sought to understand and capture the underlying “science” behind communication.

Making a difference is what drives Kate Frost (BSc Management Sciences, 1997). She left her financial career to pioneer a charity that turns pennies into pounds to make a big impact.

A trip to Ghana through Warwick in Africa prompted alumna, Soumya Dabriwal (BSc Economics, 2016), to make a difference and set up Project Baala to trans form menstrual health and hygiene practises for women and girls in rural areas in India

You’ve worked your way up the corporate ladder since graduating, you have a secure job that takes you all over the world, then out of the blue a colleague asks you if you want to start a business together. He doesn’t have an idea, but he had a dream he wanted you as a business partner. Would you take the risk? Alumnus Jinesh Vohra did.