Page 42 - Future Leaders 2018-2019

Profiles

MELISSA RYDAN GIRAUDY, 21
CLEMENCE, 21
School: University College
School: Brunel University London
Course: Anthropology with Course: Chemistry (MSc)
Professional Development Year: Third
(BSc) Grade average: 2:1
Year: Third (of four)
Grade average: 2:1
Rydan is vice president of UCL ACS and was executive
As RAG [Raise and Give] president for Brunel Students’ producer of its annual cultural showcase, Panafrik.
Union in her second year, Melissa led a team staging events The performance featured a cast of 70, and Rydan’s role
to raise money for six charities. Overall, they managed to included securing a prestigious venue – London’s Cadogan
fundraise an incredible £100,000 – including £2,000 via an Hall – and organising rehearsals, as well as taking part
event called Lost, where students were sent to a random himself as one of a six-strong hip hop dance troupe.
Politics, Sciences & Human Sciences
location and tasked with returning to campus in 36 hours More than 430 tickets were sold, raising £7,500.
without using their own money or GPS. The event saw ten While interning at a search fund, Red Gold Capital, last year,
people take part in the first year and more than 30 the next. Rydan was charged with training all new interns – despite
Melissa also has her own YouTube channel, under her own being the youngest member of the team. Towards the end
name, and, keen to learn more about creating the most of his tenure he was given the further responsibility of
effective online experience, taught herself SEO. interviewing potential recruits.
She is currently interning at a Turkish digital platform, He subsequently opted to study an Entrepreneurial Finance
Binyaprak, where she was appointed as a consultant after module, and secured places at a JP Morgan dinner, an HSBC
staging a PowerPoint presentation on the essentials of SEO. study day and a Goldman Sachs Black History Month event.
She oversees a team of three. Rydan cites resilience as one of his key attributes, having
She is also taking a course in Adobe Illustrator with a view overcome severe bullying at school, as well as a close family
eventually to setting up her own graphic design firm. bereavement and financial difficulties.
In her first year, Melissa co-founded a radio show, Brunel
Confesses, which she co-hosted until last summer. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Working at an investment bank, having progressed through
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? the ranks to a leadership position. As an overall goal, I
Living in America, successfully running my own graphic would like to work on improving the representation in the
design/creative hub business. corporate world of BAME people or any marginalised groups.

MARCEL DAMILOLA
HEDMAN, 20 OLUOKUN, 21

School: University of School: University of Warwick
Cambridge Course: Politics and
Course: Natural Sciences Sociology (BA)
(MSci) Year: Second
Year: First Grade average: 2:1
Grade average: 2:1
As captain of Warwick ACS football team, Damilola has
Marcel is vice president of the University of Oxford’s to be the “voice on the pitch”, bringing the squad together
Churchill College Junior Common Room and Trustee of and motivating his peers. They play weekly in intra and
Churchill College, Cambridge Charity. inter-university tournaments, and recently won the
In each of these two leadership roles, his primary Saturday intramural league.
responsibility is to ensure the wellbeing of Churchill “When I joined the team I was always going around
College’s student body regarding all aspects of their saying ‘hi’ to people, so I think that’s partly why I
time in college. was picked,” he laughs.
Most recently, he was involved in the rent negotiations Damilola also plays football for the university’s first
with the college which affects the amount paid by 450 team and, a leftwinger, was recently chosen to
undergraduates and graduate students. It was Marcel represent England in the English Universities Sport
and the executive committee’s job to decide on the most programme tournament.
equitable distribution of the increase. Off the football field, he was part of the marketing team
He is also treasurer of the ACS, in which role he of the Warwick Africa Summit, a two-day conference
manages the financial account, including conducting aimed at educating people about contemporary Africa
an annual audit, organising invoicing and finding and reshaping its narrative. His role included liaising with
sponsorship opportunities. He works closely with the other universities, designing posters and flyers and coming
events officers to create budgets for events such as up with a initiative called Awa Wednesday – showcasing
the ACS Affair – the ball for members and their guests – the talents of Warwick students who are contributing to
which last year had a budget of £10,000. the betterment of Africa.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Well-established at a bank and running a company Being somewhere making a change within sport,
that has a postive impact on the lives of others. maybe working for FIFA or the FA.

40 FUTURE LEADERS 10 ANNIVERSARY EDITION
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