This Volunteers’ Week, we are delighted to celebrate the contribution that our alumni volunteers make to the Westminster community through the Westminster Alumni Volunteering Awards 2024.

The Alumni Speaker of the Year Award recognises alumni who have delivered an outstanding presentation, lecture, workshop or panel discussion to students, colleagues or other alumni.

And the winners are…

The winners of the Alumni Speaker of the Year Award 2024 are… Elena Cenedese and Janniah Evans!

Elena Cenedese (Photography BA, 2018)

Elena is the co-founder of SEBC, a photography and videography company based in London. Her journey in entrepreneurship began after graduating from the University of Westminster in 2018, where she decided to channel her passion for photography into creating her own business. She specialises in portraiture, food and lifestyle photography, and has showcased her work around London and in renowned magazines.

Elena volunteered on a What Comes Next? panel in February 2024 for recent graduates on Photography and Film courses. She was an exceptional speaker; her warm, compassionate, and honest approach and ability to craft her answers to cater for both Film and Photography students was exceptional. She inspired students by sharing her journey as an entrepreneur and freelancer, emphasising the importance of seizing opportunities, staying curious and embracing creativity.  

Speaking about the Award, Elena said: “Receiving the Alumni Volunteering Speaker of the Year Award at the University of Westminster is truly an honour, and I am sincerely grateful for it. It’s immensely rewarding to contribute to the community in meaningful ways, and this recognition further motivates me to continue making a positive impact.”

---

Janniah Evans (Real Estate Development MSc, 2022)

Janniah joined Grosvenor Property UK in their Development and Asset Management teams after graduating in 2022. She has recently been appointed to the Board of The Land Collective CIC where she provides strategic advice to an organisation focused on widening access for young peopled who are interested in the Real Estate profession. 

Janniah has volunteered to speak to students on the Real Estate Management MSc course multiple times. This year she also arranged for postgraduate students to visit Fivefields, a joint venture not-for-profit shared office space in Victoria. After a tour of the facilities, rather than just present an inspirational talk, Janniah produced an interactive session for the students, encouraging them to use skills from across their different modules.

Janniah has also attended our inaugural Employability Advisory Board, providing a useful perspective as a recent graduate.

Janniah is an excellent alumni guest speaker and role model for current students.

Speaking about winning the Award, Janniah said: “It is an honour to receive this recognition from the University of Westminster. I am grateful for the relationships formed with staff and peers during my studies, and the opportunity to share my knowledge and experience from Real Estate thus far.” 

---

Could you be our next Alumni Volunteer Award winner?

If you are interested in volunteering to support our students and recent graduates, visit our webpage to see how you can get involved.

See the full list of Alumni Volunteer Award winners 2024.