To celebrate the launch of the Vita Student Alumni network, we held a special reunion event in Manchester, bringing together former Vita Student residents and Residence Teams from the past decade.
Thousands of students have called Vita Student home over the last 10 years and made memories that would last for life – and the success of Vita Student wouldn’t be possible without those people. So, to say thank you, we hosted an all-out celebration where they could reconnect, reminisce, and relive the Vita Student experience,
Since moving out of Vita Student, our Alumni have all gone their separate ways – but their experiences of living at Vita Student have stayed with them long after graduating.
And while the reunion event was a chance to see old friends again, it also provided the opportunity to make new connections. With many Alumni forging successful careers since leaving our buildings, bringing our community together again created a space for networking and future partnerships.
Our guests arrived from all over the world to attend, with some flying all the way from China to join the celebrations and visit the Vita Student buildings they lived in during their studies.
The evening featured inspiring guest talks and a panel Q&A from a range of industry speakers including some of our successful Alumni like May James, Lakechia Jeanne, and Aaron Langford, hosted by own very own Chief Purpose Officer, Giles Beswick.
see a series of stories from our alumni here.
We were also joined by Ben Legg: the former COO of Google Europe, an author, and leading authority on the future of work. Now the CEO of The Portfolio Collective, Ben dedicates his time to helping entrepreneurs find the perfect work-life balance and supporting their start-ups.
Ben’s insightful presentation at our Alumni reunion event explained what a portfolio career looks like, and how graduates could make money in multiple ways while focusing on their passion projects. After the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, young people demand a more flexible way of working, and a portfolio career is one of the ways that can be achieved.
We also heard from our Alumni May James, and her inspiring story of achieving her dream career on her terms. Since leaving Vita Student Westgate in Newcastle, May has established herself as a business scaling expert. – running her own businesses, winning multiple awards, hosting a podcast, and coaching female CEOs across the globe to turn their small businesses into multi-million enterprises.
During her studies, May had the opportunity to mentor small businesses in Uganda, but she contracted a virus that later developed into a life-long illness. Knowing that she could never work a typical 9-5 job again, she was forced to remap her entire life plan. In her talk to our Alumni, she explained how she did that, and her top tips for overcoming adversity and achieving your dreams.
Watch May’s full story.
After the talks, our guests got the chance to network, enjoy a free bar and live music. We were also served food from Little Bao Boy, a staple restaurant in Circle Square, made famous for its delicious bao buns.
We want to thank all of our Alumni, guest speakers, and Residence Team members for attending – we hope that you enjoyed the night as much as we did.
view the highlights from the 10-year reunion here.
When you leave Vita Student, you take the experience with you. But with our growing Alumni Network, you can continue to enjoy all of the exclusive benefits, opportunities and resources that come with being a Vita Student.
Over the next year, you can expect more events from the Vita Student Alumni – so if you haven’t joined yet, click here and be a part of it.
