To celebrate some of the amazing Black women we have working and studying at the University of Bath, we're putting together a series of interviews "Saluting our sisters". These success stories celebrate the pride we have in the diversity of our University.
In the first of our series, Sophie Miles (Equality and Diversity Co-Ordinator) spoke to Wellbeing Practitioner in Student Support and Safeguarding, Kodi Andrew, about her career journey, aspirations, and advice.
SM
How long have you worked at the university and what does your role involve?
KA
I've worked at university just over a year now, I joined back in July last year.
I work in student support and safeguarding, and my role is a wellbeing practitioner, so I support students with a whole range of issues, including mental health, but also well-being stuff particularly this time of the year, homesickness and how to how to cook, settling in and making friends and all of that kind of stuff right the way up to supporting people who struggle with anxiety and low mood.
SM
How did you get into the world of well-being?
KA
Good question! My background is actually social work. I trained as a social worker a couple of years ago and did all the usual process of your newly qualified years and worked for a local authority.
I decided after a little while that it may not be the avenue that I'd like to go down. I've always been quite passionate about wellbeing as a person myself, and things like self-care is really important when you are in a professional caring role.
Through doing an undergrad and then a masters myself, realising how much student mental health is important really stuck with me. I sought out to look at various at universities at wellbeing roles and see where I could fit in really.
Bath was the place that I ended up, and I'm really enjoying it so far. I think it's really eye opening to realise what different things people can experience at quite a young age. It's kind of eye opening. It gives you an open mind, but it's also, quite relatable as well, and particularly somewhere like Bath. We have students from all different walks of life. It's really interesting to just see the common values, but also the differences amongst people.
SM
What has helped you navigate your career path the most?
KA
I think I'm just quite ambitious. I'm always looking to do the next thing or the next project or the next opportunity. Sometimes that's to my detriment, because I want to get involved in all the things and I haven't got the time or the space or the energy to juggle it all!
But I guess in terms of particularly being a young black female as well, it's about having role models and people that you can look up to and be like, “OK, well, they've done it. I can do it too”, and that might be people in the media, people like authors that I like or TV personalities, but also people within my family and my community. It's through looking at what they've achieved which has paved the way for me to kind of navigate what I want to do. With my own kind of interest and flair.
SM
What are your long-term goals for your career?
KA
I have no idea where I'm gonna end up. I do have some ambitions to pursue, some counselling and become a counsellor. Maybe not so much within the next five years, but maybe kind of further on as something where maybe when I'm reaching a point where I can take a step back and choose my own hours, have a private client list, that kind of thing. Maybe flexibility is what I kind of envision for my future.
I guess that's why I get involved in quite a lot of things now, so that it's kind of the building blocks that when I'm a little bit older, I can dip my toe into different things that interest me, but not one full time thing at once. I think that's definitely a big goal of mine just to be able to do stuff that I'm interested in rather than kind of commit to the hard slog of a full-time role.
I think for me it's about passion and doing things that bring me that joy, connect me to others, make me feel fulfilled, but also that I'm making a difference to other people's lives, particularly vulnerable people, but everybody, really.
One thing I wanted to mention is that I completed the Elevate leadership programme this year, and that really taught me a lot about noticing your value. Elevate is a programme specifically for women of colour in higher education.
Some people question: “Why, though, do those people specifically need a leadership programme? Leadership is leadership.” But actually, what I learned through elevate is that as a community of women, we tend to minimise our value and our worth, not just because of the systems and the structures that are in place in society, that kind of perpetuate that, but just through our own individual stories and journeys and maybe the struggles we go through.
Particularly working somewhere like an institution, like a university, but also, with my background in local authority, local government and other institutions, large organisations, it's difficult to know where you fit and what stamp you can make. What power or influence you have.
So for me, looking forward, through taking on what I've learned through Elevate, it's about making my stamp, whether that's big or small, and recognising that, any journey that I make is my own.
And the importance of having a community to support and hold you up along the way is really important.
SM
As the Black History Month theme this year is ‘Saluting our Sisters’ - What one piece of advice would you give to your sisters?
KA
I would say keep going. Trust your journey, remember your worth, and the world is your oyster pretty much, I would say.
Don't get too disheartened by things outside of your control, but the things that are in your control, do your best to pave the way for yourself and for others to come.
Don't forget the importance of community. Seek out other people from a similar background or different backgrounds and just embrace the challenges. It doesn't always mean that it's a sign of failure. It's sometimes a sign of growth. So yeah, just embrace things along the way.
And look after your well-being. I think that's key from someone like me. Look after yourself, and don't forget to rest. One of my key messages, particularly to students, you're allowed to rest!
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