Coffee fixes

Alexandra & Daniel

The first meeting between US-based alumni Alexandra LeFlore (MA English: Shakespeare in History 2014) and Daniel Hawkins (BA Geography 2000) sparked the idea for a Chicago alumni club, which Alexandra has since set up with advice from Boston club lead Daniel along the way.

Why did you want to take part?

Alexandra First of all, I just wanted to get more connected with UCL. I graduated in 2014 and hadn’t really done anything to keep in touch since then.

I also thought it would be a great chance to network. I'm currently a teacher in the midst of planning a career transition. My first Coffee Connect match told me about her career transition and gave me a lot of encouragement and tips. And I thought, “Wow, I would never have had this if I hadn't said yes to doing Coffee Connect”. So it was a great opportunity.

Daniel I’ve been involved with the UCL Boston Alumni Club for a few years and one observation that I’ve made after attending events is that every person I've had the chance to talk to has got a really interesting story. We’re all from very different backgrounds, but we all have this point of connection with UCL and an experience of living in London. Coffee Connect is similar in how you get to meet interesting people with different backgrounds but you have that UCL connection.

How was your first meeting?

Daniel London was our starting point. Whenever I’ve met someone at an alumni event or through Coffee Connect, an easy thing to talk about is always the fun things you did in London.

Alexandra: Daniel also told me about his alumni club in Boston and I said, “why don't we have one in Chicago?”. I was sure there would be a huge network of UCL alumni in Chicago. Daniel encouraged me to reach out to Emily in UCL's Alumni Relations team to see if we could get something going. And earlier this year, we had our first event in downtown Chicago at Tony's Rooftop Bar. We had a nice turnout and it probably wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for this Coffee Connect match! And it was great to meet someone from a totally different discipline and hear their perspectives on things.

Daniel When you emailed to give me an update on the new Chicago alumni group, I was blown away that you’d made so much progress.

Alexandra I really appreciate that Daniel encouraged me to do it. We made it happen!

Daniel I was pleasantly surprised by how candid Alexandra was about what how she’s trying to change her career. I think sometimes it's easier to talk to someone new about big topics like that. It was really inspiring to hear her. Maybe the format helps people to be a little bit more transparent.

Alexandra I think I even surprised myself! And I was surprised to hear that you were in the same spot of thinking. It made me realise that it's okay to make a career transition, whatever stage of life you're in – and probably more people are feeling like you. So I have to say, Daniel, you also inspired me and made me feel less crazy. And I think you're right – I think when a connection is new and there's no previous history, it can inspire more of those authentic, honest conversations.

What were your top takeaways?

Alexandra You never know what can come from being open to meeting new people – it could be connections or it could be opportunities. For me, every Coffee Connect experience I’ve had has been really positive – maybe that’s because everyone has gone into it with an open heart and mind.

Daniel This connection absolutely helped me be inspired and move forward. As Alexandra said, being open and positive is the key.

What would you tell someone considering taking part?

Alexandra Just do it! What do you have to lose? You might be pleasantly surprised with the person you meet. Even if you don't have anything in common, I would say embrace it. There’s something to be said about meeting someone totally different from you – you’ll gain a lot from that person and

Daniel I can’t improve on that great answer! Just do it.

Diyan & Chika

Distance wasn't an obstacle for London-based Diyan Gunasekera (BSc Chemistry 1996; PhD Chemistry 2000) and Japan-based Chika Miyatake (MSc Built Environment: Light and Lighting 2003) to strike up a friendship after their first Coffee Connect meeting.

Why did you want to take part?

Chika When Coffee Connect started, Japan was in heavy lockdown. I missed London and life in London. So, I joined Coffee Connect to hopefully meet graduates from outside of Japan. It was like a door to UCL opened through meeting Diyan.

Diyan I saw Coffee Connect as an opportunity to share ideas, start discussions, and maybe even think of future collaborations. I wanted to network and make new friends with UCL alumni – especially with an alum who I might not normally meet.

How was your first meeting?

Diyan We actually had our first meeting on Zoom quite a while after we started to write to each other via email. We talked at first about our time at UCL: what we studied, what we did in London. We also talked about our hobbies. One of my hobbies is to grow orchids and it turned out that we both love to grow plants and do things outdoors.

We also talked about TV shows. I had seen a very famous Japanese TV show, Oshin (おしん), so Chika explained the show to me from a Japanese context. Now I see it from a different perspective.

Chika I was amazed that Diyan knew a lot about Japan. I didn't know much about Sri Lanka, where Diyan comes from. But Diyan is very genuine. She sent me beautiful postcards and I was very touched.

Diyan Chika also sent me some very beautiful postcards. When you have a physical card, it just has a very different meaning. It's a very nice feeling.

Have you kept in touch?

Chika To be honest, 2023 was a disastrous year for me. I lost my mum, I had an acute illness and was hospitalised, and I got injured. I was totally devastated. Throughout this, Diyan was emailing me and trying to encourage me. I was so touched. It was the worst year I could possibly imagine, and Diyan was a key person to help me to get over it.

What were your top takeaways?

Diyan I think my top takeaways are that Coffee Connect is really fun, informal and very flexible. It's a really engaging way to meet your fellow UCL alumni who you might not necessarily normally meet. They may have a different perspective on life.

Chika I’m totally with Diyan. I feel that I’m still connected with UCL and to London through Coffee Connect. I would recommend the experience to international students especially, who went back to their own countries and miss UCL.

Tingyan & Janice

As they both live in London, Tingyan Wang (MA Translation 2022) and Janice Tam (LLM Law 2021) decided to take their connection offline, meeting for first time for a trip to Columbia Road Flower Market.

Why did you want to take part?

Tingyan Well, first of all, I'm a coffee lover! And secondly, I’m a recent graduate and the only one of my friends who stayed in London. I felt a bit isolated, so when I saw Coffee Connect advertised on social media I thought it would be great to participate and meet another alumnus.

Janice I joined Coffee Connect mostly because I studied during the pandemic and the UK's national lockdown, so I found it quite tricky to meet people at UCL because we were all studying remotely. I thought taking part in Coffee Connect would be a great way to meet people at UCL.

How was your first meeting?

 Janice We met at Liverpool Street Station, then went to Eataly and then walked to Columbia Road Flower Market. It was really cute to see the plants and the bakeries.

Tingyan It was Janice’s idea. Two months ago, my parents visited London and I brought them to the flower market, and I told them I've been there with a lovely alumna from UCL. We walked there and we shared some baked goods, I tried a sausage roll for first time. 

Janice Tingyan was very thoughtful about describing her outfit the day we met, so it wasn't too hard to figure out who she was!

What did you talk about?

Tingyan Janice told me how she is commuting from London and Hong Kong. I was very curious about how she felt life is different between these two cities. Hearing different perspectives on a place is really refreshing.

We also exchanged stories about our UCL experiences. We both found the UCL community to be diverse and international, and it gave us both the opportunity to connect with so many people in a way that was really eye opening.

What was your top takeaway?

Janice I think my biggest takeaway was the idea that I wasn’t only able to connect with the UCL community while I was a student, but that I can have a continuous journey with UCL. Especially with the newsletter I receive regularly from UCL, it really feels like I wasn’t just a student for a year among a big group of people; I'm part of a community and I will continue to be part it. So the sense of belonging was a really strong takeaway for me. And considering that I was studying mostly during lockdown and didn't really get to meet any people outside of studying through clubs or societies, Coffee Connect was a great opportunity for me.

Tingyan I’d also like to tell people not to be afraid of conflict and to embrace it. As UCL alumni, we’ll have our own personal insights and should be willing to share those with others.

What would you tell someone considering taking part?

Tingyan I would say you have nothing to lose, and you could find someone you that you’ll build a connection with. I think our UCL community is really amazing place. I’ve never met anyone I don't find impressive! Just be brave. That's very important, especially in today’s world where you can easily become isolated. And if you don't fancy coffee, you can have tea!

 Janice You’ve got nothing to lose. No matter whether you’re meeting someone in person or virtually, it's always going to be a new experience. But just because it's new doesn't mean it's going to be frightening.

James & Adam

Adam Janab (MA Archaeology 2000) had an unexpected encounter with a campus celebrity when he met current student (and former University Challenge contestant) James Salmon on campus at the Print Room café.

Why did you want to take part?

Adam I loved my time at UCL and was quite interested in connecting with either an alum or a student. In my case I was fortunate to meet a current student. And I’m always looking to meet interesting people.

James So for me it was about getting to know new people, getting to know people at UCL, and I was looking to have fun, really. And making more connections through UCL is always a good thing.

How was your first meeting?

Adam We went to the Print Room, a coffee shop on campus. One of the first things we covered off was what we studied. James is a current student so we talked about how things at UCL have developed since my time – there are so many new buildings, and older ones have really changed. And I can’t remember if I already knew beforehand, but James let on that he was part of UCL’s University Challenge team! So that was very exciting.

James I have been recognised in the street a few times! It was great fun to meet someone who'd done something different at UCL, and great to hear how things at UCL had changed since Adam was a student. The UCL connection means that you’ve got something in common, even if you don’t have anything in common – you could’ve studied completely different subjects, could be from completely different areas. But the fact you’ve both been to UCL means something. 

Adam James is a really interesting person. He's got a lot of stories to tell.

What would you say to someone considering taking part?

Adam You’ll meet great and interesting people, and it will really add to the richness of your UCL experience. I'd be very happy to do it again. James is a great person to meet; I'd love to meet more people like James and keep in contact with James.

James I’d definitely echo Adam. I think it's a really worthwhile scheme and I’d do it again.