Women in Higher Education continue to break barriers, inspire change, and champion success for their students and institutions.
One such initiative making a profound impact is the Thrive personal development programme at the University of Warwick. The programme was recently recognised, winning Gold in the ‘Nurturing Wellbeing and Purpose’ category at the QS Reimagine Education Awards 2024 and Sarah Bennett, Thrive Project Manager, also received the University of Warwick’s Wonder Winner award.
Thrive is an interactive in-person programme for undergraduates and postgraduates, with opportunities to hear from inspirational speakers, and students have the option to work with a mentor to support their personal development journey. Led by an incredible team of female facilitators and mentors, it has become a transformative space for students navigating their personal and professional growth.
Women supporting women
The success of Thrive is driven by women who inspire and support one another, the programme brings together an empowering network committed to helping students thrive.
Sarah Bennett, shared her passion for the programme:
“I find it hugely rewarding working with our wonderful students, supporting them on their journey of personal growth, and seeing their confidence increase. The programme creates a sense of community by bringing together like-minded women, and the inspiring range of guest speakers really helps bring the topics discussed to life. With the support of an amazing team of facilitators, I’m delighted to have expanded
the programme in 2024-25 to reach even more students.”
The impact of Thrive has been reflected in the voices of students who have participated:
“I thoroughly enjoyed the Thrive programme. Hearing from such a large variety of speakers with their own unique experiences made me feel a lot less alone in navigating the challenges of the world as a woman. I feel a lot more confident going into social and career-based situations now.”
Global recognition
The QS Reimagine Education Awards celebrate innovations in education that enhance student learning and employability. Thrive’s recognition is a testament to the vision and dedication of the Student Opportunity team.
Parmjit Dhugga, Head of Skills, Student Opportunity, praised the team’s achievement:
“A huge congratulations to the team for coordinating the design and achieving global recognition for this new student development programme in under two years. The award is also a lovely recognition for all the Thrive contributors—speakers, facilitators, mentors, and allies—who have believed in the value of what we are doing. This is just the start as we continue to grow Thrive to serve additional groups of Warwick students this academic year.”
Creating a legacy
Beyond student development, Thrive also creates opportunities for its facilitators and mentors to connect and support each other.
Sarah adds:
“Participants can also benefit from the support of an amazing female mentor to support them beyond the Thrive programme. The whole ethos of Thrive is women supporting women, and in addition to supporting our female students with their personal development, this extends to providing opportunities for our wonderful facilitators and amazing mentoring community to connect and support each other. An annual celebration event sees all Thrive cohorts from the current academic year, plus our wider Thrive community, get together to reflect and celebrate.”
As we celebrate International Women’s Day and the remarkable women in higher education, Thrive stands as an example of what’s possible and will continue to empower, inspire, and support Warwick students for years to come.
Leave a Reply