Barbara Jika is a third year PhD student, studying Public Health and making the most out of university. She has managed to master juggling her studies, work and social life all whilst looking after her family – more than most people can imagine!
Barbara started her journey on a strong note, starting the Nigerian Society with her friends in her first year at UWL. Barbara was encouraged by her supervisor to create a community within UWL, following her desire to create somewhere Nigerian students felt instantly welcome. Their inspiration to create something that has never existed at UWL has impacted countless students’ experiences and will continue to for years to come.
Being President of the society for three years, there must be something keeping her around! On top of the socialising, networking and fun events, there’s loads of other opportunities. In the UK, there’s a Nigerian Students’ Union, which umbrellas all the Nigerian Societies in the country, enabling new students to find a community, as well as connecting current members to each other – creating a huge network! This means the society can have an even bigger impact, and people stay part of the community long after they leave university.
The Students’ Union has been an integral part of building up the society throughout. One thing Barbara loves is the regular training the committee members receive, teaching them how to better manage their student groups and helping to build their experience. Each group also has a specific SU staff member to help them with anything they need, and Barbara has felt supported every step of the way.
Barbara is also extremely dedicated to her studies, using every opportunity to work with friends on her course and using every spare moment to study (even when she should be relaxing!). She takes every chance to learn and grow and is so invested in her field, it’s not hard to see how successful she’s going to be.
Overall, Barbara’s time at university is inspirational to us all. She does so much and takes advantage of every opportunity. Barbara’s goals are to combine the two things she’s passionate about; health and academics. She loves to help, and she loves being around people:
“If I’m teaching, I’m around people and if I’m in the health sector, I am helping people”
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