Alice White (Homerton) is currently studying for a PhD in clinical neuroscience. Last year she took part in the Student Travel Award 2018 which sees two Cambridge students visiting Alumni Groups across the world, funded by a travel grant of £1,500.

Over the course of a couple of months, Alice visited Alumni Groups in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Austria. Here she shares her experiences:  

“The Student Travel Award gave me the opportunity to become a local in new places and to find new perspectives in familiar places. I went back to California where I completed my undergraduate degree and saw old friends, but was introduced to a more universal view of the state when I met Cambridge alumni. Many of them have also studied in California and we had a lot in common.

"Cambridge alumni are vibrant and involved in diverse pursuits, and this rings true in Sydney and Auckland, too. I had not previously spent much time in Sydney but the alumni network is extensive and it felt like I had colleagues across the city.

"Most people I contacted made efforts to meet during busy days and shared stories of their time in Cambridge, and their adventures through changes since. I was also able to connect with collaborators for my PhD research in all three countries I visited.

"The alumni I met are role models for me. They are not confined by boundaries of place or time. They all have in common a relentless drive which is surely a large contributor to their successes.

"The Student Travel Award is a unique chance to learn about and use the network of alumni that Cambridge has to offer, before the time when most students consider it. From an informal chat over coffee, longstanding and meaningful connections can grow into a substantial network. I think the relationships I formed will be mutually beneficial in the future, specifically for my own research and future study.”

Alice interviewed alumni on her travels and published their profiles. She also shared her trip highlights on Instagram