Volunteer of the year

A recognised leader in the financial technology sector, Roxana is an international investor and entrepreneur, and Chief Strategy Officer of FinTech Blend Network. She is a proud advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in the financial sector. Roxana also runs Smart Investress, a free weekly newsletter that makes reading about finance more enjoyable for students and young professionals.

Roxana has been a committed supporter of our Careers Mentoring Programme, helping numerous students with one-to-one support and guidance, empowering them to reach their potential. Alongside volunteering as a mentor, she has spoken at career events, delivered a guest lecture to economics students, and participated in mock interview panels. She also sits on the Economics Advisory Board and Employer Advisory Committee at the University, bringing her wealth of experience in industry to support student experience and employability.

Roxana is an advocate and champion for the University’s newly established Student Investment Trading (SIT) Fund. The SIT Fund is enabling Essex students, many of whom are from under-represented backgrounds, to gain vital experience of financial markets by developing investment strategies and trading real funds, that will help to enhance their future prospects of working in the financial sector. Roxana is also part of the University’s women in finance group for our Angels@Essex investment platform which links angel investors to entrepreneurs with innovative ideas.

We asked Roxana why she enjoys volunteering so much and she told us: “I get inspired by the energy, ideas, and initiative of my mentees. It is every time a very rewarding experience for me to be able to share my journey and experiences with such a diverse and culturally rich group of young women and men who are so determined to succeed in their respective fields. I also learn from their experiences and journeys.”

One of Roxana's mentees said: “Roxana helped me to build my confidence which is something I definitely struggled with. I was able to secure a job for when I leave university, along with many skills/tips I can take with me and use throughout my working life. In summary, the help I received from my career mentor was extremely useful and I cannot thank Roxana enough!”

Our inaugural Volunteer of the Year award goes to Satha Alaganandasundaram (BA Accounting & Financial Management, 1996) for his incredible support and commitment to the University, culminating in travelling alongside the Vice-Chancellor to his native Sri-Lanka to inspire new students to study at Essex.

Satha said: "I never expected this. Volunteering is part and parcel of my life, having always been in my blood and picked up from my father who was a General Practitioner and did lots for the community in Sri Lanka. I am honoured and thrilled with this recognition."