RAFFAELLA MINELLA FROM ITALY TO LIVERPOOL

With a wish to work in forensic anthropology, Raffaella knew the best way to continue the development of her skills would be through completing a postgraduate degree. Despite never having been to the UK before, Raffaella moved from Italy to study at LJMU and could not be happier with her decision.

“I had no idea what to expect from the people and the place,” she admits. “I did not even know much about the university system in the UK. My main concern was the language barrier because despite studying English at school, it is not the kind you use in everyday life.” Raffaella was pleased to find her worries were unfounded. “I never felt judged in the city, even though I am not from here. You will always find people to help you within the university, so you are not alone. If you need support in anything, they will always be there to guide you. All the struggles have been worth it.”

One of the things that most impressed Raffaella about studying Forensic Anthropology at LJMU was the resources available. “There is a huge collection of skeletal remains here, which is not that common at most universities,” she explains. “Very few universities offer this type of programme. The teaching staff are all amazing people too, and highly qualified in their field.”

During her studies, Raffaella was able to get involved with many different projects, including a humanitarian project in Cyprus. Raffaella, along with her lecturers and selected students, were able to exhume and identify the remains of Greek-Cypriots who were killed during the bombing of a temporary field hospital in the Paphos area over 50 years ago. “The Cyprus mission has been one of the best professional experiences I’ve ever had, and I am extremely glad that I jumped on the opportunity despite the fact that I was in the middle of my MSc dissertation data collection,” she explains. “It gave me the chance to apply everything that my degree has taught me in some real-life context, and to observe how experienced professionals in the field behave and work, constantly learning something new from them.”

After gaining this experience, Raffaella then was offered the opportunity to get her master’s research project published in a major academic journal. “My teachers were really supportive,” Raffaella says. “They believed in my work and persuaded me to send it out to journals and conferences. They helped me through the whole publishing process, and it was one of the best things that could have happened to me.”

Raffaella’s studies have not ended here. She is now considering a PhD; however, she wishes to continue gaining practical experience before continuing with her studies. “After a few excavations as a volunteer, I’ve been made lead archaeologist of my team for summer excavations!” Raffella explains, smiling. “I am really happy about this because the experience I am gaining is going to help me so much in the future. In the meantime, before this next project begins, I am doing an internship, working on an anthropological project. Everything has fallen into place, and I am so thankful to LJMU for the support it has shown me.”