I managed to catch this week’s campus cutie, Hermione, after a Forum meeting to find out a little bit more about her.
Hermione is a second year studying Zoology and so far is loving the course. “Its really hard, but its definitely the most interesting thing I’ve done” she explained. “The campus really makes it amazing to do it as well” she said. “I love that the campus is right in the middle of the coast! I love the sea, and its incredible for my course as the biodiversity is incredible” she explained, before laughing a bit “that’s such a science-y thing to say”. Although she isn’t involved on campus with zoology related things, she volunteers at the International Birds of Prey Centre over the summer holidays as well as getting hands-on experience by living on a farm. This is not to say that this week’s cutie is not involved on campus. “I write for ‘Life’ magazine at the moment, and I have actually just set up a campus newspaper with a friend, the first issue of which – a bit of a plug here- will be out at the beginning of next term.”
Carrying on with her time at university, I asked Hermione what she wanted to achieve by the time she graduates next year. “Experience” she said, without hesitation, “I want to get experience in my field, which I should get as I’m going to Madagascar this summer on a field trip to study animals.” I then asked her to tell me a little bit more about this trip. “So we’re going out with Operation Wallacea to study two species of chameleon, the oustalet’s chameleon and the angels chameleon” she explained. “All the data that we’re going to get will go towards the Madagascan government and hopefully in the long run it’ll encourage Madagascar to become better with its wildlife and hopefully become more conservation based.” . “We actually have some fundraising events coming up if anyone wants to get involved! We’re having a bar crawl on the 14th May, just after exams, and we’re selling T-Shirts at £5 so you can get loads of drinks deals. So, everyone should come along!” she laughed.
My next question for this week’s Campus Cutie was where she could see herself in 10 year’s time? “Hopefully working for the National Geographic” she explained, “I’d love to be writing and photographing for them.” Has she always wanted to do this, or is it a recent career development? “These aspirations are a couple of years old” she explained, “although I’ve always wanted to be in the television industry, but I wanted to first start writing in newspapers and work towards television, I suppose”. “Writing for ‘Life’ magazine has sort of cemented this for me, I suppose. I also really want to travel, and with this I could do that, you know?”. You could perhaps say that our cutie this week is following in the footsteps of her role models. When I asked her who they were, she answered me instantaneously. “David Attenborough. Hands down” she gushed “I think his work is absolutely incredible. But not just him,” she continued “there is a guy called Paul Mungeam who is a cameraman and has written a couple of books and has filmed loads of wildlife stuff in Africa.”
As the sun has been out a lot over the last couple of days I ask her what her summer plans are. “Well other than Madagascar, I’m also planning to go to the States; I’m hopefully going to go and see where I was born as I was adopted from the US, so I’m headed out to just outside of New Orleans!” she explained. “I’m excited, but I’m also really nervous. The papers I’ve got have given me an address so I’m going to go and have a poke around and see what I can find!” she said. “I know that I have an elder brother, and I’d really love to meet him.” She’s also headed out to the States to visit her sister who studies there, and do some travelling while she’s stateside.
During our interview, I also discovered that this week’s cutie has already crossed a lot of things off her bucket list despite only being 21. “So scuba diving was on my list and I did that in Egypt about 5 years ago now, South Africa and Australia were on my list and I’ve been to both places!” she explained “I’ve done a lot of travelling that was on my bucket list which is amazing.” She continued, “on my list I want to travel to every single country in the world- there are 196 and I think I’m on 19 or 20 or something. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but I will get there!” she laughed.
Hermione also happens to have a couple of hidden talents. “Not many people know I’m an artist actually” she explained. This week’s cutie happens to be a freelance artist, doing work on commission. “I sold 8 paintings this summer, actually” she said, proudly. “I used to have a business of selling notecards that I design, but that currently isn’t working due to university, but yeah!” she said. “I’m also a pianist” she mentioned, “I play about grade 8 piano.”
It seems that this week’s cutie is so multi-faceted, it’s a little bit mind-boggling. Although unfortunately for you all she is already spoken for, but if you see her around campus, go say hi!