Meet our Alumni Bloggers

Diana Alice Florescu

Hometown: Bucharest, Romania
Programme: Marketing Communications BA Honours
Graduation year: 2016

My hunger for knowledge is spiced by my ‘butterfingers’ clumsiness and stirred together with creativity, commitment and passion. I try to hide my ‘drama queen’ side even though it is a reliable source of laughter, especially when I am cooling my heels due to my lack of patience. I could shout across the lines how exciting it is to study in the heart of London in a place like University of Westminster surrounded by hundreds of attractions and cultural venues. I always keep an ear out for the new exhibitions at Tate Britain and it happens to love fiction as much as I embrace the reality. I am extremely passionate about sharing my experiences that I have stumbled upon, speaking my mind and praising my thoughts!

Monique Moreno

Hometown: Houston, Texas, USA
Programme: Social Media, Culture and Society MA
Graduation year: 2017
Personal blog: www.moniquemoreno.com

I originally hail from Texas but I’ve studied in Milan and also spent the past year working in Ireland! I started my high school’s British Club, so I guess you can say I’ve always been a big fan of London. I’m always one to take advantage of an opportunity – have I told you about how I once played a boxer in an Irish commercial, despite never having worn boxing gloves in my entire life? My favorite thing about studying at Westminster has been being able to have classes with people from all over the world – I’ve made so many friends from all parts of the globe!

Nick Louis

Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Programme: LLM International Law and MPhil/PhD Law
Personal blog: nickandlauratravel.simplesite.com

I was born and raised just outside Chicago, Illinois. I spent almost 23 years exploring fun and awesome things to do and leaned the best places to eat all around the city. I moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 2006 where I worked as a police detective. During this time, I travelled and found some of the best places to see and more importantly… to eat! I love finding new places to go and foods to try. Travel and adventure are the name of the game for my wife and I and we hope to impart some of those adventures to everyone and show parts of the city and country that are little found and less frequently travelled.

Nicole El-Helou

Hometown:  London, UK / Beirut, Lebanon
Programme: English Language and Literature BA Honours
Graduation year: 2017
Personal blog: lifeinstripesblog.wordpress.com

A fashion conscious international politics follower who loves to write. Coffee is my poison, and teamed with the perfect blueberry muffin, can make any day start beautifully. I can always be found at a Starbucks flipping through my favourite magazines or working on my latest blog post (OR on a university assignment!) and I love meeting new people. I’ve enjoyed being at Westminster so much, in such a scenic campus in the heart of London. Being surrounded by the hustle and bustle of busy city-goers, shoppers, and tourists, makes being alone in a beautiful city just a little bit better.

Staci West

Hometown: West Chester,  Pennsylvania, USA
Programme: International Relations and Security MA
Graduation year: 2016
Personal blog: staciandco.com

A self professed caffeine addict who’s always overdressing and can never have enough shoes. I believe that everything should be red velvet and dessert isn’t even a question. I’m a girly girl at heart, lipstick enthusiast and a vicarious reader. I seek out adventure and am curious about everything. I love to get lost and actively seek out hidden colourful bits of London, whether it be a bright door or flowers decorating the sidewalk. I have a permanent smile on my face and love to use exclamation points!

Susana Byun

Hometown: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Programme: Marketing Communications MA
Graduation year: 2016
Personal blog: www.brasilpost.com.br/susana-byun

Brazilian-born, South Korean descendant, PR and communications professional and a geek at heart. Amongst my passions, I love to read, travel, learn about different cultures and meet new people. Despite living in London for only six months, it didn’t take too much time to understand why so many people love this city and make it their home or their favourite tourist spot. As an incredibly fortunate person to be studying a Masters in my desired professional area at the heart of London, I am definitely sure that I could never get enough of this mesmerizing land of dreams, diversity and opportunities.

Verónica Posada Álvarez

Hometown: Medellín, Colombia
Programme: Arts and Visual Culture MA
Graduation year: 2017
Personal blog: http://vpa-story.weebly.com

Coming from Medellín in Colombia, a mid-sized city located in the Andean mountains, on the edge of South and Central America, I’ve been wandering around London since June 2015. Discovering all kinds of cultural representations, allowing myself to learn from the atmosphere that this magical city has. I’m living in so many cities at the same time. I’m interested in Art as a representation tool within a specific context or social environment. Addressing the intertextuality between disciplines and the projection of the creative process as an element of social awareness. I created this blog as a way to tell stories and share what I’m seeing and learning in London in terms of visual culture.

Tanushree Halder

Hometown: Barisal, Bangladesh
Programme: Applied Biotechnology MSc
Graduation year: 2017

A woman with a dream of a meaningful life is my identity. My friends call me brave, versatile as well as emotionally gullible. I love to believe people, despite lots of sufferings due to it. I enjoy most the gathering of different civilizations in the halls of the British Museum in London. I would not get the essence of such diverse cultures without studying at the University of Westminster. In London, I can’t but admire the cordiality, helpfulness and modesty of the people. I am here to find out the beauty, colour and smell of my life.

Tung Thanh Nguyen

Hometown: Hanoi, Vietnam
Programme: Public Relations MA
Graduation year: 2016
Personal blog: ilifeijourney.wordpress.com

“Life is a journey, not a destination” – that is the quote of my life. This is the first time I’ve ever lived in another country. This is a new page of my life. I love books and I am interested in books written about travel and cuisine, because those authors have a gift of making people want to stop whatever they’re doing, pack their bags and travel. I really want to be like those authors. I still remember what I told my friend, who has been living in London for 12 years, when she took me to Brick Lane. After taking a giant bite of a roasted-duck bun while slowly walking along a small lane with antique shops along side, I told her “I don’t feel like a stranger. I feel like I was here before”. That’s why I chose Brick Lane as my first place to write about. I want to make people feel familiar with London. I want to make them feel like they were here just by reading what I write and seeing my photos of London. So they feel like they are here with me!