Name, department and current area of study

Raksha Gohel, Life Sciences, 2nd year Biomedical Science.

You nominated one of the shortlisted nominees in the Staff Awards last year. Why did you decide to make a nomination?

I nominated one of my lecturers who I felt made a great difference to myself and many of my peers’ experiences at Warwick. They were exceptional in going the extra mile to help us and I felt that this deserved some attention and appreciation.

How did you feel when you saw your nomination get shortlisted?

Very happy but not shocked in the slightest because they definitely deserved it. I hope that they felt recognised for all the hard work they constantly put in.

What would you say to someone thinking about making a nomination this year?

It really doesn’t take that long to do and if you feel that someone has made a difference to your experience (think of all the time they put in!), then nominate them so that they get the attention they deserve. You’re probably not the only ones that feel that way about the staff member, so encourage your friends to nominate them as well!

Why do you think it’s important that students get involved?

There are so many fantastic staff members that we see every day and often take them for granted because we have become used to the remarkable things they do and support they offer. These are the people you end up talking about with your friends and say “Oh ‘x’ is amazing; they’re so helpful; I love them!” but they don’t get any public/university-wide recognition for this. If you couldn’t imagine anyone else doing their job, they’re definitely worth a nomination!

The Staff Awards and the CCSG Awards are merging this year. Do you think this will be beneficial?

Yes, because it allows appreciation of wide range of staff for many different things.