Faith Mazani

What attracted you to studying at Kent?

It’s known as the UK’s European university, so I thought there might be opportunities for me to travel around. The degree includes a sandwich year, and I thought that if I didn’t get a one-year placement there would also be options to do a summer placement. That attracted me, it was a big plus. Also, I phoned different universities and Kent was the friendliest.

What are your lecturers like?

They are very supportive and enthusiastic about what they do. They are up-to-date and really knowledgeable.

What do you do on your course?

It’s a good mixture of lectures, seminars and lab work. The lab work was really helpful in preparing me for my placement year – in comparison, students I worked with from other universities said they hadn’t had a lot of lab experience.

Which modules have you enjoyed most?

Bioinformatics. This year I chose it as my optional module because I wasn’t naturally good with computers and I wanted to challenge myself.

I can see that I’ve progressed and am applying knowledge from different modules as well.

What did you do during your sandwich year?

I worked at GSK in Stevenage developing assays. These were experiments to test potential molecules that could be used in drugs. My degree programme had prepared me well for it, because we’d had a mini project in the second year which included assay work.

How did the School support you before and during your placement?

We were given a handbook with information about what we needed to do before, during and after the placement. We have a dedicated placement co-ordinator, and academic advisers visiting us while we’re on the placement to see how we’re getting on.

What is your final-year research project about?

It’s on the characterisation of a protein called coiled-coil coactivator. I’m looking at how it interacts with Myosin VI in the nucleus, how it regulates transcription and how that might affect things like cancer.

What else have you done at Kent?

I did the Summer School in Paris, and learnt about revolutions in arts – in art, film and creative writing. It was over two weeks and was great because we were such a mixed group: from different years, different courses and also different universities.  

What societies are you involved with?

We have the BioScience society, BioSoc, which puts on regular talks and seminars. Outside of my subject, the main one I’m involved with is Ballroom and Latin Dance Club. I do competitions and fundraising. We recently had our Strictly Kent Dancing event, where

I was one of the ‘professionals’, partnered with a committee member from another society or club. It’s like Strictly Come Dancing, so I had to dance with them and teach them how to do it.

Have you done any voluntary activities at Kent?

Yes, I’m a student ambassador, I’ve done academic peer mentoring and I’m now doing the Buddy Scheme. On the Buddy Scheme, you’re assigned to a first-year student and you help them settle in to university life.

What are your career plans?

Working within the pharmaceutical industry and possibly pursuing a PhD in the near future.

What advice would you give to a student who’s thinking about coming to Kent?

Come to Kent. There’s just no other option. Why wouldn’t you?