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Thousands of DMU students graduated in July after years of hard work. We reported some of their stories in our Class of 2015 series...

Inspirational Ioanna-Eleni Tsigkiridi – or Jane Tsig as she is known to her many friends – faced her fears and came away from Â鶹ƵµÀ Leicester (DMU) with so much more than a degree. 

Three years of independence and life-changing experiences have helped the student from Greece to decide what she wants to do in the future – and graduating with a degree in Politics BA (Hons) should help her to realise it.

Leaving home for the first time to study in another country, Jane also had to consider her mobility disability: “It is called tetraplegia. I was born prematurely, at six-and-a-half months. I stopped breathing and was put in an incubator. For these few seconds the part of my brain which influences mobility was damaged through lack of oxygen. But it could have been worse – doctors told my mum I might be able to walk, with help, at the age of ten. I walked at four and didn’t need any assistance after five. Now I can live by myself and go where I want.”

She first came to England to visit friends in London when she was 15 and the trip made a lasting impression on her: “I visited all the museums and I saw so many people in wheelchairs or with movement disabilities. Back home I know people with disabilities who have tried so hard to achieve things which over here are a given. I just wanted to go away to find myself – I needed to start believing in myself. It was a huge thing deciding to come to Leicester. I wasn’t sure I would be able to manage on my own. For the first few weeks I struggled, but over time I was fine. The fantastic support from the university made it possible and my tutors have been like a second family to me.”

So how did she decide on DMU? “Back home I was in the International Baccalaureate programme and my tutor gave me a list of UK institutions he thought I might like. DMU was one of them. I looked online and saw there was lots of investment. I also found previous DMU students from Greece on Facebook and messaged them. I asked them how it was and they all wrote so many good things back. I was really intrigued. I believe everything happens for a reason and since I’ve been here I’ve had so many good experiences.”

One of the highlights of her time here was securing work experience at the Greek Embassy in London. “I want to be a diplomat, at some point in my life. When it came to our placement module, most of my friends were going for roles in Leicester. But as an international student I thought I wanted to try something different.”

After trying to get a placement through official channels and not getting a response, she contacted an honorary Greek Consulate in Birmingham. Run by a married couple from their home, they couldn’t offer Jane a role but admired her persistence and gave her an email address for the ambassador’s secretary in London. She got in touch and, after a Skype interview, was invited down for a week’s work.

She was nervous about going to London – even though she was staying with friends who had graduated from DMU the year before – and commuting to work on the bus every day: “It was quite challenging for me. The whole population of Greece is about the same size as the population of London. Although I was OK getting around Leicester and Athens, where my home is, London was a big thing for me. I was stressed but I just got on with it and did it, and found it wasn’t so bad.”

She said it was “amazing” to work in the embassy: “I got to do many different things. I met the ambassador and asked him every question possible about working in the diplomatic sector. They didn’t just stick me in an office answering phones, I was able to see first-hand what they were doing day to day. They showed me the broad spectrum of what they’re doing – essentially I spent time with every person in the office, so I was able to see how everyone dealt with issues. I was also in the archives filing daily reports and actually helping Greek people with problems in England.”

DMU is a truly global university – with students from more than 130 countries and 155 quality international partnerships providing placement opportunities around the world – something which Jane has really enjoyed, responding to the diversity, inclusivity and focus on ability: “Here I met so many people with so many different backgrounds, but the one thing they had in common was that they were all so passionate about studying. It was very inspiring.”

De Montfort Students’ Union (DSU) now offers students more than 120 societies as well as 40 sports clubs to choose from in order to enhance their experience while studying at DMU. Jane had a rich and rewarding social life after joining a wide variety of DSU societies, including Comedy, Disabled Students, Film and Creative Writing: “I’m so happy I did. It was really enjoyable and I built lots of really good relationships.”

Jane is now returning to Athens where she plans to volunteer at ELEPAP – the first non-profit, non-governmental, charity organisation in Greece which specialises in helping children with moving disabilities and their families – and she’s also hoping to spend three months doing conservation work on a Greenpeace boat. She plans to work on her languages (she speaks fluent English and Greek, but intends to polish up her French and Spanish to the same level) and then hopes to do a master’s in international relations before getting a job in the diplomatic service.