The 2013/14 Board

Hi, I'm Seliat and I'm currently in my third year of my Mathematics degree at the University of Bristol. I love my degree - mathematics is a unique subject which has its own logic and language and its ability to be so specific but at the same time universal has always amazed me! I therefore really appreciate the importance of quality textbooks and learning materials and I am grateful to be able to work with Pearson to continue to develop and improve them.

Education is a field that I am very passionate about and committed to; I view it is as a fundamental human right and the key to an individual’s success, growth and development. I recently completed a research project on the effect of schooling and diversity on educational attainment which I found incredibly interesting.

Working as a tutor marries my love for learning and academics with my love to encourage and inspire young people to reach their potential. Being a Technology Enhanced Learning Assistant has really alerted me to the effect of technology on learning. It is incredibly important for me increase my knowledge and experience of this field and I hope that working on the PSAB will facilitate this and allow me to make an impact.

I’m looking forward to organising innovative projects in and around my campus and can’t wait to work with the rest of the team.

I am a third-year biomedical sciences student at King’s College London. I am delighted to be part of the PSAB! I have just completed a year abroad at the University of California, Irvine and I have studied Mandarin at the Beijing Language and Culture University on my gap year.

I hope that my diverse experiences as a textbook user will be useful during my time on the board. Sciences courses are often very textbook heavy and there is nothing more important to me than finding a useful textbook at the start of a module. A feeling which many, I am sure, share.

I hope to be able to put my experiences and knowledge of students’ needs to good use and help Pearson create products which are even more student friendly. I also expect to find learning about what happens on the industry side to be a very rewarding experience.

My name is Sophie Goodman and I am a second-year law student at the University of South Wales. I feel that simply coming to university will not entirely develop the skills needed to progress into a well valued job after your degree. Coming to university is about having opportunities open up that wouldn’t necessarily be open to you otherwise. This is my main reason behind applying for the PSAB. I feel it is important to seize every opportunity open to you.

In my first year I worked as a student experience ambassador for the university and as well as continuing with that this year I want to gain more valuable experience. When the opportunity arose to join the board I jumped at the chance. Working as an SEA made me realise my other interests and planted the idea that I should branch out from just legal work experience so that once I finish my degree I am open to many different opportunities. I know the PSAB provides this for me and I hope in return I can help improve learning experiences for future students.

I’m Harrison, a second-year philosophy, politics and economics student at the University of Warwick graduating in 2015. I lean more towards politics as it is more topical, though the other subjects are also interesting, especially as I had not studied them before university.

I am very excited about joining PSAB as it will reveal the world of publishing which I currently know little about. From a business angle, it will be particularly interesting given the current trend towards a digital world. It will also help me to look at education from a very different perspective.

Outside of my degree, I work in student recruitment, alumni relations, and am an executive officer of 2 student societies. Outside of university, I am a keen sailing instructor, pianist and jogger. One day, I hope to run a marathon!

My ambitions after university centre around doing something both challenging and stimulating.

Hi, I’m Danielle McCluskie, a final-year student at Lancaster University studying Psychology in Education. I am a passionate student eager to continually seek new ways to make positive and lasting differences for the education of myself and others. Those who gain positive experiences from learning will prosper. I want to be a part of maximising education's potential, being innovative and creative, giving real importance to student’s voices. One thing that I really value about Pearson is the fact that it offer product in a variety of formats, recognising that all learners do not learn in the same way.

Working for Pearson Student Advisory Board provides fantastic opportunities to collaborate and communicate with Pearson experts in the field of education that will allow for the development of products and services that are prominent contributors in helping learners to reach their full academic potential. I always seek to do something a bit challenging and something that will really stretch my abilities and working on the PSAB will provide this. I really hope to gain an insight to the field in which I hope to later have a career.

Hello, my name is Sibylle and I have just started my second year of a four-year Joint Honours course in Management Science and Economics at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. My first year at university has been amazing - I thoroughly enjoy the subjects I am studying and living in Scotland in general. I find it fascinating to constantly explore new horizons, as I try to develop new skills and learn something new whenever I can.

I love to travel, read and find out about different cultures and the ways they approach things differently. After attending Startup Weekend in November, I developed a keen interest for entrepreneurship and technology which led me to teach myself some basic programming.

My experiences and my passion for learning and Higher Education will positively influence my participation as a Board member with Pearson. I genuinely believe that education can be improved greatly if specifically tailored to students, developing interesting resources and material which will help you to make your education an individual learning experience. As Pearson uses both modern technology and hard copies of books to make knowledge available to students, I feel that it is a great opportunity for me to bring my ideas, drive and experience I have gained during my internship this summer to the Board and share any concerns or commendations fellow students may have.

I’m Kara, and I am a second-year Business Management student at the University of Birmingham. Having just completed my first year at university, I want to share my educational experiences and help improve the learning resources we students are so dependent on. Working with Pearson as part of the PSAB will give me an opportunity like no other to help achieve this.

I am also the elected Marketing & Publicity Officer of my university’s student-led SOS Magazine, a publication primarily offering advice and tips for students on a wealth of different subjects. I will rely on my experiences of engaging and listening to my peers to give my all on the board.

As a member of the PSAB, I will develop my leadership and project management skills both of which will be essential for future graduate employment.

My name is Hersh Thaker and I am a second-year PPE student at the University of Manchester. Working with people and in particular being able to positively influence the lives and surroundings of students is something that really inspires me and hence I’ve actively pursued relevant interests. I am currently a Student Trustee at the University, President of a student society and a School Governor at a primary school back home in Leicester. I have also been involved with the Youth Parliament and have worked for the Electoral Reform Society on my Gap Year.

I was motivated the join the Pearson Student Advisory Board by the challenge of having real responsibility to ultimately shape the quality of resources Pearson can offer to students. I anticipate a rewarding and stimulating year ahead and I look forward to working with the team whilst also having the freedom to develop and run my own projects.

The year ahead will be exciting and I cannot wait to see what we can deliver to help Pearson continue to deliver the very best products for students!