DHEERAJ SINGH-RATHORE

Award Year: 2016

Course: Biological & Environmental Science

Activities: International Student Ambassador; Teagasc Walsh Fellows newsletter; student activities for international students based in Teagasc

Occupation: Molecular Plant Pathologist (Contract Research Tech, Teagasc)

While I look at this picture hanging high on my father’s living room wall, I remember my days at UCD. That time has been a lifelong memory to cherish; a PhD degree in biological science gave me recognition for my passion in science and my dream came true to be a doctor. I was based in Teagasc (Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority) for my research work, but I have been involved in several student activities at Teagasc as well as UCD. I have now moved in to a research job in Teagasc and my student life has reached a happy ending. However, the learning from UCD and the student life I have enjoyed will always keep a student alive inside me to take on lifetime lessons. I deeply feel proud and touched to be a part of UCD student life.

Justin Sinnott

Award Year: 1999

Course: History & Politics

Activities: Students’ Union; Literary & Historical Society

Occupation: Enterprise

Programmes Manager, Irish Research Council; County Councillor

Looking back to the twenty years since I was in UCD I’m struck by how different those times were. It was the pre-internet age and mobile phones were just about to come in vogue. The notice boards in the Arts Block, the Bar, and the Union Corridor were the main communication hubs.

My involvement was initially with the Students’ Union and then with a number of societies, including the L&H. It was quite an exciting time to be involved with the debating societies. What I remember most are the annual Northern Ireland debates – it was the time of ceasefires and the lead up to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement; the debates were particularly intense. Equally, the debates on divorce were memorable in the lead up to the 1995 referendum. Friday evenings in Theatre M were very special even if the wine wasn’t great!

The activity that was most important to me was my involvement with the Students’ Union. It was a labour of love and my activism taught me an awful lot. In fact, many of the skills I learned during my time with the Union have been put to good use throughout my working life. We achieved a lot during those years, not least the planning and delivery of the Student Centre on campus. Other achievements have been lasting. Student representation on College committees and boards are taken for granted now. However, in the mid-1990s the only representation students had was a seat on the Governing Authority. Equally, the campaign for anonymous marking was one of the most important victories. My colleague from that time, Liam Dockery, deserves a lot of credit for his work on this.

For those of us who were Students’ Union activists the annual sabbatical elections are a stand out memory. They were incredibly tough but an extremely important aspect of my student experience. I think it would be fair to say that for all of us who were involved in student activities it represented something that was as important as our academic studies. My most cherished memories and lasting friendships came from the campaigns I worked on and the events I helped organise or participated in.