Things I definitely didn't expect in my first month as your Postgraduate and International Officer.
When I accepted the role of The Students' Union Postgraduate and International Officer, I knew it would be an incredible opportunity to advocate for postgraduate and international students, work alongside colleagues across the University, and hopefully make a positive difference to students' experiences.
What I did not anticipate was just how much the role would shape me too.
Less than a month into the role, I found myself doing something I never imagined I would do.
Standing on the stage at the University of Bath graduation ceremonies.
Not as a graduate. Not as a guest.
But as one of the people welcoming hundreds of students as they celebrated one of the biggest milestones of their lives.
If you had told me a few years ago that this would happen, I probably would have laughed.
Why graduation means so much to me
Graduation has always carried a special meaning for me.
In 2021, I moved to the UK to study for an MSc in Development and Security at the University of Bristol.
I graduated in September 2022, but I had already returned home in January, just two weeks before my graduation ceremony. Instead of celebrating with my classmates, I watched the ceremony through a livestream.
I remember feeling incredibly proud, but also a little heartbroken.
Everyone else was celebrating together while I was thousands of miles away. I wanted to wear the gown, walk across the stage, take the photographs, and celebrate with my classmates.
Over time, I made peace with missing that moment. I accepted that I would probably never wear my master's gown and that the next academic robe I would wear would, hopefully, be my PhD gown one day.
Then life surprised me.
As part of our role as The Students' Union Officers, we attend graduation ceremonies. Because I had submitted my PhD thesis but had not yet completed my viva, my highest awarded qualification was still my master's degree.
The University of Bath kindly arranged for my official master's gown from the University of Bristol.
Just like that, I was given the opportunity to experience a graduation moment that I thought I had lost forever.
For two days, I wore a gown I never imagined I would have the chance to wear.
It may seem like a small thing, but for me it represented so much more than academic dress. It represented closure. It represented celebration. Most of all, it represented a moment I had quietly grieved but never thought I would get back.
Some moments arrive years later than we expect, but they are no less meaningful when they finally do.
Speaking at graduation
Then came another unforgettable first.
I was invited to give The Students' Union graduation speech.
Now, if you know me, you will know that I enjoy public speaking. I have taught classes, presented at conferences, facilitated workshops, and spent the last few years talking about my research.
But this felt different.
This was not about presenting my work.
This was about representing students during one of the most significant moments of their university journey.
I was excited. I was honoured.
And yes... I was nervous.
I must have read my speech more times than I care to admit. For two weeks, I read it every morning and practised it on every Officer who was too kind to tell me no... sorry, Nic.
Standing behind the stage, waiting to process into the Abbey, I remember taking a deep breath and thinking,
"This is actually happening."
One of my favourite moments in the speech was saying these words:
"If there is one thing I hope you leave with today, it is this: the most meaningful journeys are rarely travelled alone. We become who we are through the people who walk alongside us. So, as you step into whatever comes next, remember not only what you achieved here, but who you became because of the people you met, the communities you joined, and the kindness you both received and gave."
Standing there, looking out at the graduates, I realised those words were not just for them.
They were for me too.
As I spoke those words, I realised they described my own journey just as much as they described the graduates' journey.
Over the past few years, I have been shaped by supervisors, friends, colleagues, mentors, students, and communities who believed in me long before I fully believed in myself. Becoming your Postgraduate and International Officer is another chapter of that journey, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by people who continue to challenge, encourage, and support me every day.
The bits you don't see
One of the unexpected joys of this role has been seeing everything that happens behind the scenes.
Walking in the academic procession was surreal.
There is something incredibly special about standing backstage, watching colleagues from across the University line up in their academic robes before processing into the Abbey. The history, the tradition, the excitement, and the sense of occasion all come together in a way that is difficult to describe.
It felt... majestic.
There is something about watching hundreds of academics in colourful robes process together that makes you appreciate the history and significance of the occasion.
For a moment, I found myself looking around and thinking,
"How on earth did I get here?"
Then came another unexpected highlight.
I got to hold the ceremonial mace backstage.
I know.
Not something I ever imagined would be on my list of life experiences.
It was one of those wonderfully random moments that only this role could give you.
Moments like this remind me that working for The Students' Union is not only about representing students. It is also about saying yes to opportunities that help me grow into a better representative for them.
I also had the opportunity to spend time with many of the University's senior leaders throughout the ceremonies. As someone who was new to the role, I really appreciated how welcoming and approachable everyone was. The Vice-Chancellor, the Pro-Vice-Chancellors, and colleagues across the University were all incredibly kind, making what could have felt like an intimidating environment feel genuinely warm and supportive.
As someone who had only ever seen many of them from the audience or on University webpages, sitting alongside them backstage was a reminder of how many unexpected opportunities this role has already opened up for me.
Those interactions reminded me that, behind every grand ceremony and institutional tradition, there are people who care deeply about celebrating students and making these moments memorable.
Growing alongside the role
One thing I have realised already is that this role is developing me just as much as I hope to contribute to it.
Every week seems to bring a new opportunity that pushes me outside my comfort zone.
One week I am speaking at graduation.
The next I am sitting in University committees.
Before I know it, I am working with colleagues across The Students' Union and the University on projects that I hope will improve the experience of postgraduate and international students.
I am learning how decisions are made.
I am becoming a more confident public speaker.
I am building relationships with people I never imagined I would meet.
Most importantly, I am learning that growth often comes from saying yes to opportunities before you feel completely ready.
For that, I am incredibly grateful.
Working for The Students' Union has already given me opportunities that I never imagined I would have, and I know this is only the beginning. I am genuinely excited to continue learning, developing, and representing the incredible postgraduate and international student community at Bath.
Congratulations, Class of 2026
Finally, to everyone who graduated this summer, congratulations.
Whether this was your bachelor's degree, master's degree, doctorate, or another milestone in your journey, I hope you take time to celebrate everything it took to get here.
And to the families, friends, supervisors, colleagues, and loved ones who celebrated alongside our graduates, thank you. Your encouragement, patience, and belief have undoubtedly been part of their success.
As I said to the Class of 2026:
"Graduation is not simply an ending. It is the beginning of another chapter."
Looking back over the past month, I realise that those words apply to me as well.
Becoming your Postgraduate and International Officer is one of the greatest privileges of my life, and I cannot wait to see what this chapter holds.
One more graduation still awaits me.
In January, all being well, I will return to this ceremony wearing a different robe for my PhD graduation. As a first-generation PhD graduate, and the first person in my immediate and extended family to achieve a doctorate, I already know there will be tears.
Quite a lot of them, if I'm being honest.
But that is a story for another blog.
Some moments arrive years later than we expect, but they are no less meaningful when they finally do.
Some dreams don't happen the way you imagined. Sometimes, they happen in ways you never imagined possible.
Until next time,
Mercy Martins
The SU Postgraduate and International Officer