Meet Shireen Nawaz, our Northern Schools Liaison Officer

We recently welcomed Shireen Nawaz as our new Schools Liaison Officer based in the North of England. We asked her a few questions about her early career and what she hopes to do in the role.

Tell us a bit about what being a Schools Liaison Officer entails.

My role at Selwyn involves building connections with schools and colleges in the North of the UK, particularly ones unfamiliar with the Oxbridge process. Sometimes, I visit schools to do presentations on applying to Cambridge and bring students up to scratch with interview skills and personal statements. I've already booked several school visits for the coming year and this month has already been busy with trips! I’ve found that being someone who didn’t come through the Cambridge system gives me a different viewpoint, which helps guide students in a way that people within the system might not.

Have you always wanted to work in outreach?

While I didn’t it realise then, my first job out of university was actually in the widening participation field, as a teacher at the University of Leeds adult education centre. I gained teaching experience with this job and then pursued a PGCE to formalise my teaching knowledge. In a way, I did things in reverse!

I then took a break for maternity leave. I learned a lot about how children learn during this time, which sparked an interest in teaching young people, so I transitioned to teaching at a secondary school. This was the role that opened my eyes to both the challenges facing the education system and the impact of COVID-19 on teaching. My experience in higher education, secondary, and sixth-form teaching has shaped my understanding of widening participation, which naturally drives what I do today.

What do you look forward to most about this role?

From my experience, there's now much more funding and awareness aimed at including historically side-lined demographics, which is fantastic. At Cambridge, our work goes beyond just receiving applications; our aim is to inspire students to consider applying to Cambridge and other Russell Group universities, rather than only their local options, broadening their aspirations.

As someone who has always lived in the North, I can reassure Northern students that I understand their unique challenges and can help them navigate the process. I have already met students who were able to share their concerns with me, identifying ways in which we can offer additional support or resources they might need. This gives me insight into the wider challenges we need to work on to enable them to apply to Cambridge.

You’ve been with Selwyn College for just over a month now. How have you found it?

When I saw the job advert, while I was familiar with Cambridge having visited often, I hadn’t actually heard of Selwyn before. On my first visit here for my interview, during Easter with the cherry blossoms in bloom, I was captivated by how magical it felt. I thought about what an incredible place it must be to study and felt inspired to work here. Meeting everyone, from the porters to my team, has been so wonderful, and their friendliness completely shattered any stereotypes I had about Cambridge!