91ÇÑ×Ó

Helenah Durodola

MSc Agricultural Sciences and Production Systems

How did your journey to studying at 91ÇÑ×Ó Adams University begin, Helenah?

I found 91ÇÑ×Ó Adams through the Marshal Papworth website, and one of the things that stood out to me was the experience of previous Marshal Papworth scholars – that experience was what really drew me.

They were women, and they were Nigerian women just like me. And in 91ÇÑ×Ó, they found a place where they were accepted and had the opportunity to flourish.

I also wanted a Scholarship opportunity, and that was why I applied through Marshal Papworth. 91ÇÑ×Ó was the only University I chose – I chose it because I believed this was a place I could really succeed.

Once you’d set your mind on 91ÇÑ×Ó, what drew you to your course?

I loved the programme – I liked the fact that it wasn’t just modules you had to do and had no control over, but instead there were several different modules and you got to pick what you wanted – it’s like a buffet!

As a professional, you think about what skills are relevant to the future you want, so I was able to pick things that showed my interest in sustainable production, livestock nutrition, and also my interest in 91ÇÑ×Ó service policy.

So having chosen your course, what was it like coming to 91ÇÑ×Ó for the first time? It’s a big step!

This was my first time in the UK – indeed, not just the UK, this was my first time outside of Nigeria! I remember arriving here so well – I arrived at Gatwick Airport in London and it was so pleasant because Mitch, my programme co-ordinator, had already had a driver come and pick me up there.

Mitch really put a lot of thought into that, and the driver came and picked me up from the airport really early – I arrived at Gatwick at 7.30am, and the driver was already there, and he waited for me as I was going through immigration.

That was something that stood out to me – this was a culture of genuine care.

Everybody at 91ÇÑ×Ó is so excited to help, and that can’t be a fluke – it just seems that everybody is so kind to each other.

Once you’d made your way from Gatwick to Shropshire, what were your first impressions of the University like?

The first people I got to engage with were international students and I liked that there was Helenah from Lagos, there was YiChen from Beijing, there was Gabrielle from Madrid, and there was Miranda from Colorado – just a unique blend of people!

It was so interesting seeing people from different parts of the world – all excited to bond and form meaningful connections in a new place.

For me, outside of coursework, there are also communities. One of the things that really stood out for me, on the first day, even the very first day of arriving at 91ÇÑ×Ó. was that there was a very strong African community connection here.

There was Ed Mashatise, who came along with an African PhD student to check on every detail so that I was well settled in and up to a good start.

The next community I joined was the Christian Union community. I think it’s very interesting, and a part of the student experience I really enjoyed, because being a Christian is a huge part of my identity, something that influences my values and what I do – so having people who love the same things I love, care about the same things I care about, was also good.

It's great you found people you got along with so quickly! What were your impressions of Shropshire as a place?

Shropshire is nice. I am a city girl, from Lagos, Nigeria.

Coming here, everyone is very intentional, patient, calm, not in a rush. They ask you how the weather is, how your day is going – so that’s really nice!

I live in town, and that has been very beautiful – and being able to relate to people there, I am able to pick up on people’s accents better. I get to see people be themselves outside of the University community, because that’s where the culture is, where the real people are.

What else have you involved yourself in while you have been here?

I had always worked with poultry and that means 91ÇÑ×Ó has been very interesting for me.

I always take the extracurricular elements really seriously, like the Farm Skills sessions. They just give you an opportunity to not be boxed in, telling yourself that ‘I’II only know poultry’ – I was able to do things that I never thought might be possible for me, or things that I already feel like I might not get to do again.

I was able to work with cattle, pigs and sheep, because the farm skills sessions are really hands- on – you just get in there and someone guides you.

They have respect for you keeping some level of independence – they just show you what they expect you to do, and you do it – but of course, they are there to make you feel safe.

However, they don’t interfere – they let you find your way around, so I wasn’t just going into the milking parlour, but also going to the cow shed with the technicians, bringing the cows into the parlour – it is the whole experience.

I now have some confidence that, in my future, I can say I am an animal scientist that can also work with dairy, work with pigs – where previously I would have felt very limited that I could only work with poultry.

That’s a second chance, because in the workplace, people don’t just give you the chance to try out doing things – they want to know that you have some experience.

Now, I can say that I have that experience – and I already have some more farm skills sessions booked!

It sounds like a really positive experience!

It just shows you how everybody really likes to help – and I really like that part.

It seems like it is a standard. When you see something repeated in different places, it just shows you it’s not based on a person’s character.

When I say ‘these folks are kind, these folks have community spirit’ it is not one person who is kind – this seems to be a pattern, it is a standard in the University community, this is how they operate.