Helping peers make a difference

Callum's Stellify journey began after he was looking for a way to get involved with something that would benefit others during his time at Manchester.

He became Lead Student Coordinator and Peer Mentor, leading others to help their peers and make a real difference.

My name is Callum and this is my Stellify story.

I'm originally from Moston in Manchester and I studied Psychology.

I was never encouraged to aim for university until I went to college. I wasn't particularly a high achiever during my high school years and I suffered with low confidence.

Since starting University I've gained more confidence both socially and academically. I now realise that I can do this and overcome the barriers which I may face now and in the future.

During my time at Manchester I was certain that I didn't just want to leave with a degree certificate and then graduate. I wanted to get involved in doing more things which would benefit others and also help my own personal and professional development too.

With Stellify I’ve undertaken a number of different roles but the one I'm particularly passionate about is peer support. I became the Lead Student Coordinator of our Peer Mentoring scheme this year and have turned the programme around within my Faculty over the last two years.

I've learned to delegate, lead other leaders, tackle conflict resolution, structure teams, deliver messages and I've also trained to be a trainer. These are all essential skills people face in the workplace.

Now that I've graduated I'm going to spend the summer brushing up on my German, volunteering at the LGBT foundation as a HR assistant and working as an intern in the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health’s Pedagogy and Staff Development programme.

I believe Stellify will help me in my future as it encompasses a philosophy of working and making a difference.

For anyone who's thinking about getting involved, I would say to just go for it, you have nothing to lose and only a lot more to gain.