Maria Abrines

"Hi my name is Maria, I am a second-year GSD and Business Studies student. I am currently part of the Student Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC) as a second-year course representative for GSD and Business Studies. This role gives me the opportunity to get more involved with my home department GSD and business and make positive changes to the course. I am very much enjoying my second year modules specially The Transformed Workplace: Managing in the Digital Era (Warwick Business School) and Inequalities and Sustainable Development: Inclusion and Dignity for All (GSD). I enjoy this course very much and find that the interdisciplinary aspect of it allows for much more creativity and dimension to the course. My hobbies include cooking and finding the best restaurants around Leamington to eat and drink."

Raquel Hughes

"Hello! I am a second-year Politics, International Studies and GSD student from Spain. I am a member of the Mountaineering, Warwick Language and Stop & Listen societies. I am particularly interested in social and political sustainability, and I am a volunteer for NGOs fighting human trafficking and poverty.

My favourite module at the moment is Debt, Money, and Global Sustainable Development, where we explore the sustainability issues that arise from our current economic and financial systems. GSD has allowed to me think critically about the world around me, and has ignited my passion towards making the world a better place. I am excited to share this with prospective students!"

Lauren Marshall-Nichols

• Second-year Life Sciences and GSD student

"Hi, I'm Lauren (she/her). I came across GSD by accident and I am so happy I did - I love the wide mixture of topics it allows me to study and am particularly interested in the environmental impacts of the food system. I've always been interested in sustainability, waste and zero-waste lifestyles! I am also a course representative and student blogger, which is great because it allows me to communicate with such a wide range of people. I look forward to engaging with current and prospective students in the future through my role as a student ambassador!"

Ilaria Ravazzolo

"Hi, I’m Ilaria, a second-year Economic Studies and GSD student. I’m also a correspondent for GLOBUS, the GSD Department’s online magazine, which I enjoy very much, as it gives me the opportunity to research and discuss topics that interest me outside of my modules. In addition, I am a GSD Mentor for a first-year student and also take part in the Student Union's Buddy Scheme, where I mentor a first-year student outside of the GSD Department. I’m an active member of the Tap Dance Society and the Warwick Language Society as well.

My favourite module so far has been the Multilingualism and Sustainable Development module which I’ve found fascinating and incredibly stimulating at the same time. It has made me more aware of the importance of language and the implications of multilingualism and triggered me to think critically about how we usually approach language, especially from a sustainable development perspective."

Alyssia Smith

"Hi my name is Alyssia and I am a second-year Theatre and Performance Studies and GSD student. The combination of these two subjects initially confused me as I couldn’t see a very clear connection. Despite this I decided to study it because I love acting and wanted to keep it as a constant in my life but I also wanted to try something new. GSD seemed like the perfect option as over the past few years I became increasingly concerned about the degrading environment and was eager to broaden my understanding about the wider environmental picture so I can discuss it with confidence. Over the past year I have absolutely loved the combination - I have learned to appreciate the usage of Theatre in communicating messages to a wide audience and am excited to explore how this medium can be used to educate people about sustainability.

My favourite GSD module so far has been Inequalities and Sustainable Development: Inclusion and Dignity for All as I have learnt about the various types of inequality and the factors contributing towards its existence which hadn’t previously crossed my mind. I love learning about something so relevant and multi-dimensional.

As well as enjoying my course at uni, I am having a wonderful time being Social Secretary of the Sailing Society and a member of the Shakespeare and Tap societies. I also love exploring the beautiful landscapes surrounding the uni on runs!"

Eszter Vlasits

"Hi, I'm Eszter, a second-year single honours GSD student from Hungary. I feel like one of the biggest gains coming from studying this degree is that it teaches me to look at every problem through an interdisciplinary lens. Currently I am quite interested in researching communication surrounding climate change and looking into the governmental background of climate change policies, but as a single honours student, I also had the opportunity to take part in external modules, for example in Social Psychology, which provided me with useful additional aspects of the field. I am a writer for GLOBUS Warwick, an online newspaper edited and published mainly by GSD students, where we share our articles written about all sorts of topics that we are passionate about, connected to sustainability."

Melissa Yip

• Second-year Politics, International Studies, and GSD student

"Hello! I’m Melissa from Singapore. I love how I can apply what I’ve learnt from both subjects to each other. Furthermore, my academic experience has been helpful outside of the classroom. This summer, I did my Undergraduate Research Support Scheme titled 'Fighting the Climate Crisis: Singapore's First Floating Solar Farm and Public Housing With District Cooling'.

I also worked as a Marketing and Events Officer to support Warwick Enterprise and NatWest in delivering COP26 focused events. As department representative for the Student Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC), I am invested in strengthening student voice and experience. Finally, I do Muay Thai, and I am the Social Secretary of Salsa! Both are great ways to meet new people and have fun."