Spring Graduates 2023: Lily Davis

Lily Davis went from being an indecisive participant at an Essex undergraduate open day to becoming one of the most active members of the Department of History and now she is graduating with an MA History.

When Lily first walked onto campus she didn’t think it was the right place for her. She only attended the open day because her sister, who had studied at Essex wanted to see how the University had changed.

However, “the range of modules and the calibre of lecturers” in the Department of History brought her back, not just do an undergraduate degree but to also continue to a Masters.

In her words, Essex is “not just a university, it is a community.”

To Lily, playing an active role in the Department was never intended, just like her starting point at Essex. But as the years went by, following a recommendation from her best friend, Lily became a student representative and later joined the History Society, which she helped rejuvenate in her second year remaining an active member in her third year.

The History Society was an integral part of her University life and she was most proud of how it brought MA and PhD students together. “The PhD candidates benefited us all so much, from helping us with little things like understanding historiography to offering to proofread our dissertations at the end of the year,” she said. “I like to think the Masters students helped the PhD candidates take more breaks and decompress!”

Lily was always open to helping others in any capacity alongside organising events and making sure everyone felt included. Professor Tracey Loughran rightfully described her as “exactly the kind of person who makes things better for everyone without expecting thanks.”

After being isolated as a result of COVID-19, Lily said it was “a gift” to meet people in person and reunite with them. Her experiences throughout this journey taught her to always be nice to people. She credits the support she received from her lecturers and the Department as a whole with making her time at Essex so memorable and inspiring.

Lily has plans to return to Essex for a PhD in a few years.

This article was written by Student Content Creator Nilisha Subasinghe.

Read more of our Spring Graduates 2023 stories.