Interview: Howard de Walden scholar reflects on Westminster journey and impact of scholarship

1. What was your experience like as a student at Westminster, both academically and personally?

No two days are the same at Westminster, and that is what made the experience more dynamic and beneficial to the development of my skills that aided me when entering the working world after graduation. The general experience is very fast-paced and included many opportunities for me to socialise with my peers and within the industry because of the balance of both on-site and off-site activities.

2. Looking back, what are you most proud of from your time at the University?

I am most proud of the number of opportunities that I accepted to network within the industry, and I am particularly proud to have achieved to secure The Howard De Walden Scholarship.

3. How did the scholarship support you during your studies?

The scholarship enabled me to gain an internship at HDWE, which then led to a permanent role after graduation. The internship helped me to explore the various roles within the industry and solidify the area of which I will focus on my early career. It was useful to understand the working culture and navigate my way around the working environment.

4. What opportunities or experiences did the scholarship open up for you?

I was taken off-site to explore the variety of properties on the estate and bring many aspects of my studies to life. I had the opportunity to attend various meetings, both internally and externally, and become exposed to the subjects and ideas being discussed that essentially support the company via various departments.

5. How has your first week been so far in your new graduate role at Howard de Walden? 

I have been able to ease back in at a reasonable pace and find my feet again! It has been very busy as expected, but I am enjoying learning lots more in detail as my internship was spent on a roughly two-day rotation between departments, so I was needing to have more bite-size information.

6. What excites you most about the role?

I currently spend two days in the planning and my third day in the residential department, but I will be on a six-month rotation between other departments to expose me to other areas of the company and eventually become a flexible member of the team. I am HDWE's first graduate role, so there is a lot to learn for both the company and myself through this process.

7. How do you feel this programme is helping to diversify the real estate sector and what does it mean to you to be part of that change?

I entered real estate with the word “change” in mind, because as cliche as it may sound, I want to be a part of the change that I see within the industry. Thankfully, with HDWE and the role that has been created for me, I am doing just that. There is great satisfaction in helping clients and the estate to achieve needs and desires and to facilitate growth. The scholarship aims to provide opportunities for students from an array of backgrounds, and this is enabling the outdated statistics of the industry to shift.

8. Where do you see yourself in the next few years and how do you hope to build on this opportunity?

I would like to become qualified by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) to become a chartered planner, and I should know the estate quite well by then! It will be amazing to witness the development of the estate that I will be a part of over the next few years as there are many changes in the pipeline.

9. Looking ahead, what advice would you give to future Westminster students who are considering applying for a scholarship?

I could not recommend it more. Whether they are certain of the role or industry that they want, a scholarship opens opportunities for a student to explore a wider range of such, network with others and discover more about themselves in the process.

Learn more about the Real Estate BSc Honours course at the University of Westminster.