The Alisha Zaman memorial prize laureates

August 2023: "Being presented with this year's Alisha Zaman Memorial Prize is a huge privilege and honour. Alisha’s dedication and compassion towards her fellow students, nature, and wildlife is truly inspirational. Therefore, I am immensely proud and grateful that my hard work throughout my time at Keele has been recognised with such an award.

Before starting university, I volunteered in Thailand working in a turtle sanctuary. From this experience, I knew I wanted to pursue a career working with animals but was unsure of the route to take. Whilst the past 3 years at Keele have been challenging, it has also been incredibly rewarding, allowing me to explore opportunities in the conservation sector further. Having been given constant support and opportunities from my lecturers to reach my highest potential, I graduated with a First-class Honours. From becoming team captain of the Equestrian Society to having the opportunity to carry out research at Peak Wildlife Park in penguin conservation, in which I achieved 90%, my Keele journey has provided me with memories that will last a lifetime, and being selected for this award has made this time even more special.

Again, I would like to thank Alisha’s family for their incredible generosity in this award. The funding received will be invested in my postgraduate studies in conservation. With Alisha’s love of nature, I am honoured that I will be able to acknowledge her memory with this award in my future studies and career."

August 2022: "I am honoured beyond words to be chosen by the School of Life Sciences as this year’s recipient of the Alisha Zaman Memorial prize. Alisha’s involvement and investment in Keele, including her taking on the role of Student Ambassador and Life Sciences Representative, is a true inspiration and I accept this award with immense pride and gratitude.

My time at Keele has been an experience of a lifetime which I will forever cherish. Although at times challenging, Keele pushed me to reach my greatest potential which would not have been possible without the unconditional support and motivation from all my tutors who I cannot thank enough. Before starting university, I was filled with self-doubt about not being intelligent enough to complete a biology degree, however, finishing university with a 1st Class Honours degree, 90% in my dissertation, as well as being the recipient of this inspirational award has proved to me that with enough hard work and determination, I can achieve anything I set my mind to.

During my first year at university, I enjoyed taking on the role as the Student Voice Representative for biology, a role which developed my confidence, interpersonal skills, and public speaking ability. Since leaving university, I have gained work experience in the pharmaceutical industry through an internship at a leading medical communications company. Being awarded this prize in memory of Alisha has given me the confidence that I will one day achieve my goal in becoming a pharmaceutical sales representative.

I want to thank Alisha’s family from the bottom of my heart for providing this award and making my experience at Keele all the more special, it is my proudest achievement to date and a memory which I will treasure forever."

August 2021: I feel extremely honoured to have been selected by the School of Life Sciences to be the first recipient of the Alisha Zaman Memorial prize and accept it with much pride and gratitude. It is a great privilege to have been selected to receive the award and I feel very proud to be honouring Alisha’s name in this way. It means a great deal to me that the time I have invested in my studies and my work as a Student Ambassador and Life Sciences Representative have been recognised. I feel especially proud that through this award I will also be acknowledging Alisha’s memory and her dedication and commitment to the School of Life Sciences and her work as a fellow Student Ambassador and Representative.

I have loved being at Keele. I have enjoyed all aspects of my biology degree but discovered that I have a real interest in the science of genetics and diagnostic disease. I plan to pursue this interest at postgraduate level and will be starting an MSc in Genomic Medicine at Exeter University in September 2021. Alongside my studies I have also taken advantage of the many extracurricular activities on offer at Keele; I have been involved in the Mountaineering society, Keele Rock Appreciation Posse and Life Sciences Society, all of which have allowed me to meet like-minded students that I may not otherwise have met. I also enjoyed lacrosse which I found exciting and challenging, as well as its offerings of a great social life! I signed up as a Student Ambassador in my first year at Keele giving me the opportunity to work open days and to give student life talks to prospective students, both online and in person. In year two I was elected to be Lead Student Voice Representative for Life Sciences and to make sure that the views and opinions of my peers were heard at Student and Staff committees and Teaching Team meetings. I have additionally achieved a platinum award through the Keele University Volunteering Award scheme by tutoring GSCE Biology pupils at local disadvantaged schools, which I have found rewarding and inspiring.

I am proud to have achieved this award in Alisha’s memory, not just for my own sake but as a mark of respect for Alisha. The funds that come with this award will be a helpful contribution to my postgraduate studies and I will make sure that some of the funds are invested in a way that reminds me of the privilege of receiving this award and of Alisha."

Update from Catherine, September 2022: "A year on from leaving Keele with my prized Alisha Zaman Memorial award I have just recently completed an MSc in Genomic Medicine at Exeter University. On arrival at Exeter, and based on my time at Keele, I decided I wanted to continue contributing to university life and successfully applied to become a student ambassador. This has been a really positive experience for me and I have had many interesting experiences travelling around the country representing Exeter to schools and sixth-form colleges and showing prospective students around the campus. I was also voted in as Social Secretary for the Postgraduate Society in my first few weeks at Exeter and at the end of the year received an award for Contributions to the Postgraduate Society. A highlight of my time as social secretary was holding a ball for 250 students.

Determined to continue in a role that allows me to make a difference to the lives of others I am proud to say I made a successful application to the Civil Service and start work with them as a Regulatory Scientist in early October, something I am immensely looking forward to.

I would like to say thank you once again to the family of Alisha Zaman and the generosity of their award. Receiving this, alongside a first-class honours degree, has given me the confidence and the determination not only to pursue my ambitions but to seek opportunities to contribute to society where I can."