5 minute read
Introducing...Sejal Karmarkar
Introducing... Sejal Karmarkar
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WE SPOKE TO SEJAL, ALUMNA AND 2019 MENTOR TO HEAR ABOUT HER TIME WITH IMMERSE AND WHAT KEEPS HER BUSY!
– When did you attend Immerse? I attended Immerse in the summer of 2017. I chose to study the Medicine course and was living in St Catherine’s College!
– What are your favourite memories of your time with Immerse as a participant?
Definitely the friends that I made in Immerse. I never thought I would become so close to people from halfway around the world in two weeks, but as soon as we met each other we got on so well and I can happily say I have made lifelong friends from Immerse. My best memory is when we went on impromptu college tours with two of the mentors and got to explore the beauty of Cambridge with amazing people. The organised punting was also a highlight of my time there!
– What impact did the programme have on you? – I think the main impact was inspiring me to apply to the University of Cambridge. Although the work I did in class was challenging, it was so interesting and I realised the supervision- style of teaching my teacher used, and that they use at Cambridge, was something I loved. The mentors also played a big role in this as they were so friendly and I got on so well with so many of them which is not what I was expecting! I had heard lots of rumours about Cambridge and Oxford students being weird and not sociable but when I came to Immerse I realised that wasn’t the case at all!
– Do you have any confessions from your Immerse summer programme?
I stayed up after curfew with my friends almost every night and we managed to avoid the mentor night patrol every time except
once! It was quite embarrassing because five of us hid in a tiny cupboard when we heard him knocking on the door and tried to pretend we weren’t there but he knew we were so we had to sheepishly walk out while he watched us.
– What’s life like at Cambridge?
It’s very intense but also very enjoyable. I’m busy in all aspects, not just work, but with extra-curriculars, socialising and sport as well! It’s a once in a lifetime experience and although sometimes you get no time to rest, it’s busy in the best way possible.
– What’s your greatest achievement?
Probably getting into Cambridge to study Medicine! Preparation for interviews admissions tests etc. was so much hard work but it paid off in the end! I am also very proud of being selected as college representative coordinator for CATS Cambridge which stands for cancer awareness in teenagers and young people society. The CATS campaign is national and is aimed at spreading awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer amongst young people to promote early detection - please do visit their website and keep up to date with all their events!
– What motivated you to return as an Immerse Summer Mentor?
– I really enjoyed the course as a student and also loved getting to know the mentors and so when I was looking for a summer job, Immerse is the first place I turned to because I knew that, although it was technically a job, it wouldn’t feel like one because I would be having loads of fun as well.
– What was your favourite part of your mentor experience?
– Getting to know my mentor family and seeing them make friends and flourish on the camp. I absolutely loved spending time with them and was so happy at the end when I saw that my mentees who had not spoken to anyone, been really shy and unenthusiastic, were now enjoying themselves, making friends and taking part in loads of the evening activities. I also loved getting to know the other mentors I was working with - they were an incredible bunch of people and I’ve made some really good friends through the summer school.
– What “behind-the-scenes” insights can you share with our alumni that they might not know?
– I’m not sure about mentors in other colleges, but night patrol was one of our favourite things to do. I was a mentor at Queens’ and we used to go in pairs and scour every staircase like we were in a spy movie trying to bust an after-curfew party. We would get so excited that if we found one we would message the entire mentor group chat so we could all make the bust at the same time! Sounds quite sad but it was actually so fun.
– What advice do you have for our alumni who are still in high school?
– If you are unsure about what you want to do for A-levels and at uni I would honestly just pick things that you enjoy! Especially if you want to apply to Cambridge because the courses are so broad and modules so flexible that you really don’t have to know exactly what you want to do. Also, if you do want to apply to Cambridge then don’t think you aren’t good enough- definitely apply!! The worst thing you can do is self-select because you think you aren’t going to get in - a huge proportion of applicants apply not expecting anything at all and end up getting in!
– Do you have a message for your mentor family?
– Just a big thank you to them for being such an amazing group of big personalities and making me laugh every day! I miss them a lot! (our family was way better than anyone else’s because you guys were so great!)
Mini alumni updates
MAKSIM SHYMANOVICH
Maksim participated in Immerse in both 2018 and 2019. He has established his own businesses, including braceletts.eu, and will be attending business school from next year.
LUIZA GARAVELO Luiza studied Architecture with Immerse in 2018. She is now studying Architecture at the University of Westminster in London.
CHARLOTTE INCHBOLD-ABEY
Charlotte is in her final year at university studying Midwifery. She studied Medicine with Immerse in 2016. Best of luck with your final exams, Charlotte!
