Hello everyone! 

My name is Nicole Aphang Bringas, and I graduated from The University of Manchester in July 2024 with a BA Politics, Philosophy, and Economics. I chose to study this undergraduate degree due to its interdisciplinary nature and the flexibility that allowed me to specialise in Economics and Data Analysis. I cherish my time at the university as a great learning experience, both inside and outside the classroom. Here is where I found a second home and incredible friendships. 

My career and how I got here

Career wise, I have been able to undertake a plethora of internships. In August 2023, I completed an internship in financial planning and analysis at Marsh McLennan, and in July 2024, I completed another with an international NGO called Operation Smile. Currently, I am working for the university, focusing on automating systems and helping in student facing activities such as graduation. In my current team, I am using advanced functions and Visual Basic for Applications to continuously improve systems. My aim for the future is to continue helping organisations that have a positive impact on the community. My expertise lies in managing projects, improving processes, and working with different teams to accomplish a common goal. It is part of my career aspirations to do a Master of Science degree to hone those quantitative skills. 

My experience at Manchester 

My course helped me in a variety of ways to become a well-rounded professional. Academically, the advanced Economics courses allowed me to strengthen my programming and analytical skills when working with large data sets. Working in my final year with my amazing dissertation supervisor pushed me to reach a proficient level of econometrics. I absolutely adored my dissertation where I analysed welfare outcomes in Latin American countries, a topic that lies close to my heart since I am from Peru and have a special interest in development economics. Moreover, the societies and volunteering initiatives I led helped me to become more confident in my management and supervisory skills. Being the project leader for Period Poverty Initiative Once a Month allowed me to work on the financials and community outreach that I so much enjoyed. I met lovely volunteers and had the best time organising events to donate hygiene kits across Greater Manchester and facilitate meaningful panel talks to discuss issues that are still stigmatised, such as period poverty. 

Advice for future students 

My advice to offer holders and first year students is to try different things while you are on your course. Do not be afraid to go to society events alone or try challenging modules. There will always be staff members and other students who will be happy to support you. Remember that time genuinely flies and cherish the student life you’ve got for these few years!! 

I can only look back at my time as a student at The University of Manchester as a great time filled with unforgettable memories. 

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