{"id":2136,"date":"2026-08-10T09:30:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T08:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/?p=2136"},"modified":"2026-07-29T15:03:40","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T14:03:40","slug":"parade-profile-daniel-mtonya-msc-international-development-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/2026\/08\/10\/parade-profile-daniel-mtonya-msc-international-development-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Parade Profile: Daniel Mtonya\u00a0(MSc International Development 2021)\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since graduating from Bath in 2021, Daniel has built a varied career spanning international development,\u00a0communications\u00a0and the heritage sector. Alongside his professional work, he has\u00a0remained\u00a0closely connected\u00a0to Bath as a volunteer.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He recently hosted a Careers Conversation for current students, sharing the lessons he's picked up along the way. If you'd like to support current students, email advancement@bath.ac.uk. <\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why did you choose to study at Bath?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond the modules offered on my MSc International Development\u00a0course, the opportunity to complete a summer placement really stood out.\u00a0I'd\u00a0only recently finished\u00a0writing\u00a0a dissertation for my undergraduate degree, so gaining practical work experience instead of\u00a0writing\u00a0another thesis was a huge draw.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It proved to be the right decision. My placement with the University's Institute for Policy Research (IPR) as a Research Assistant gave me valuable experience and skills that helped me secure my first full-time role after graduating in 2021.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Did you have a particular career in mind when you chose your course?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes.\u00a0I'd\u00a0developed a long-standing interest in international development through my parents' work in the sector, as well as my own reading and research. Studying at Bath felt like the natural next step and\u00a0ultimately led\u00a0me to my first full-time role with Oxfam GB.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Can you tell us about your experience of studying here? Any favourite memories?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I'll\u00a0always have a soft spot for Bath. Although I studied during the pandemic and\u00a0missed out on\u00a0some of\"\"<\/a> the usual student experience, I still made the most of my time, enjoying walks around the city and making plenty of memories with my course mates.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As Academic Representative, I organised virtual events throughout the year to help keep our cohort connected, and\u00a0I'm\u00a0proud of the community we built despite the circumstances.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Describe your career journey since graduating.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Soon after graduating, I moved to London and began building my career through a mixture of internships and communications roles. After an internship spanning ESG, Public Affairs and Corporate Reputation, I joined Oxfam GB as a Supporter Relations Executive, where I delivered multi-channel communications, supported\u00a0campaigns\u00a0and worked with colleagues across the organisation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Alongside my career,\u00a0I've\u00a0remained\u00a0committed to volunteering, including supporting the British Heart Foundation, my church and, since 2023, the University of Bath through a range of student engagement activities.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What do you enjoy most about your career?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The variety. I've had the opportunity to work across communications, fundraising and public engagement, and every role has taught me something new. Volunteering has also remained a constant and continues to give me a real sense of purpose.<\/span><\/p>\n

Has anything surprised you along the way?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How much more competitive the job market has become. It can be challenging, but\u00a0it's\u00a0important not to lose heart. Every opportunity, whether\u00a0it's\u00a0volunteering, an internship or learning a new skill, helps you grow professionally and brings you one step closer to where you want to be.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How did your studies help you to develop?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My studies gave me\u00a0a strong foundation\u00a0in international development, but they also encouraged me to think critically about power,\u00a0representation\u00a0and the impact we can have through our work. Those lessons have stayed with me throughout my career.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are your career highlights so far?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Leading an ethical storytelling project at Oxfam is one of my proudest achievements. It reminded me that you\u00a0don't\u00a0need a senior job title to make a meaningful difference.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tell us more about the project with Oxfam.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Early in my role, I reviewed our team's communications and realised that some of our 'Impact per Pound' messaging unintentionally reinforced stereotypes by focusing on communities' needs rather than their strengths and agency.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Drawing on what\u00a0I'd\u00a0learned at Bath about power and representation in international development, I presented a proposal to senior management to change this approach. Once approved, I led a review of Supporter Relations communications.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Working closely with Oxfam's Head of Brand, I helped update communications guidance and replaced the old metrics with community-led stories that reflected people more authentically and respectfully. I also developed new internal guidance and training, helping colleagues across multiple teams adopt more ethical storytelling practices.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although my project concluded when my contract ended, it was later followed by an organisation-wide communications refresh that built on many of the same principles.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can you tell us about your experience\u00a0delivering a\u00a0Careers Conversation for the Black Students'\u00a0Network?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was a real privilege to be the first speaker in the Careers Conversation series.\u00a0Having lived and worked in environments where people of colour have often been underrepresented, I know how valuable it is to see someone with a similar background sharing their journey. Representation matters, and I wanted to be open about both the opportunities and the challenges\u00a0I've\u00a0experienced, while encouraging students to pursue their own ambitions with confidence.\u00a0It was a pleasure to get involved.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why do you choose to give back to Bath as a volunteer?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Volunteering has been an important part of my life since graduating, whether through charity work, my church or supporting the University.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Having\u00a0benefited\u00a0from mentors myself, I know how valuable it is to hear from someone\u00a0who's\u00a0already navigated the challenges\u00a0you're\u00a0facing. While online resources are useful,\u00a0there's\u00a0something uniquely reassuring about having an honest conversation with someone\u00a0who's\u00a0been there before.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If sharing my experiences helps even one student feel more confident about their own journey, then\u00a0it's\u00a0time well spent. Seeing students grow in confidence and realise\u00a0what's\u00a0possible for them is one of the most rewarding parts of volunteering with Bath.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What advice would you give to prospective students thinking about studying your course at Bath?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u00a0couldn't\u00a0recommend it highly enough. The course, placement opportunities, lecturers, Careers team and sense of community all played a huge role in shaping my experience. Looking back, choosing Bath was one of the best decisions I made.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Since graduating from Bath in 2021, Daniel has built a varied career spanning international development,\u00a0communications\u00a0and the heritage sector. Alongside his professional work, he has\u00a0remained\u00a0closely connected\u00a0to Bath as a volunteer.\u00a0 He recently hosted a Careers Conversation for current students, sharing the...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2002,"featured_media":2137,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[124,119,133],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-humanities-social-sciences","category-parade-profiles","category-postgraduate"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/07\/Parade-profile-header-56.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2002"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2136"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2136\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/on-parade\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}