"I’m so honoured to have won and grateful for such a prestigious recognition of my work. My work doesn’t happen in isolation though, I want to use this opportunity to spotlight the wonderful teams at Durham University. I couldn't have wished for more supportive and caring colleagues–so this award is owed and shared with them!

I fell into alumni relations by chance, and now I see myself staying in this profession for the rest of my career. I look forward to learning more about the fascinating world of advancement and will let it guide me in my next steps! I hope to get more involved with volunteering at CASE, and a ‘big blue sky dream’ of mine is to introduce alumni relations to countries where it's not currently widespread–particularly in my native home, Italy!"