Student Profile: Tomi Moronkola, MSc Comparative Social Policy
Green Templeton College at the University of Oxford is home to around 600 students from 79 different countries. In our new Student Profiles series, our students will be introducing themselves and letting you know about their studies and life at Green Templeton.
Can you give us some background about your journey to Oxford?
Having worked for the UK government for the last few years, I made the decision to study at the University of Oxford because I wanted to do more research on what best practice looks like from an international perspective.
Doing a Masters in Comparative Social Policy has enabled me to do exactly that, and over the year I have learned about new policy areas and done further research into my policy field (Economic Growth). However, my experience at Oxford has undoubtedly been so much more than academic.
Taking a year’s sabbatical leave from work has been one of the best decisions I made, because it provided me with the opportunity to move to the beautiful city of Oxford, meet people from all over the world, and remind myself of the importance of taking time out to grow, learn and reflect.
From the moment I arrived here, I was struck by just how friendly everyone at Green Templeton is (both staff and students) and the effort the college puts in to making sure they plan activities that bring us together whether we have a few minutes or few hours to spare.
Green Templeton’s grounds are beautiful and as someone who intentionally takes the time to absorb my surroundings, walking around outside the Observatory has often been a welcome break from studying in the library!
As this year comes to an end, I have so many things to be grateful for. Oxford has opened me up to a world of possibilities and challenged me to continue pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone. As I look back, I have so many fond memories but as I look forward, I’m excited to see what the future will bring.
How would you describe your time at Green Templeton?
I’ve genuinely enjoyed being part of Green Templeton College and if given the opportunity to do it all again, would undoubtedly choose GTC. I think Green Templeton is one of the friendliest colleges there is, which I believe is one of the most important things when choosing a college. I specifically wanted to be part of a postgraduate only college so being part of Green Templeton meant I was often surrounded my like-minded individuals and memories of the formals will certainly stay with me for many years to come.
What has been the best part of your college experience?
Although I didn’t live on the college grounds, I tell everyone that I’ve lived in the best house in Oxford. I’ve had the most wonderful housemates and I would never have imagined that from the beginning of the first term we’d set up a house supper club so we could catch up with each other every week. When you’re moving to a new city, one of the things you think about is who you’ll meet, so the fact that some of the loveliest people I met this year lived in the same house as me was a huge bonus and blessing.
What advice would you give prospective students considering Green Templeton as their college choice?
I’m yet to speak to anyone who doesn’t love Green Templeton. It’s is an incredible college and although it might be a little smaller than some of the older colleges, it’s the perfect size for making friends and being part of a college community. It’s also abundantly clear that Green Templeton cares about the wellbeing of its students and offers unique services like Life Coaching and peer support to help you along the way.
Can you share any hidden gems you’ve discovered at college?
These may be the worst kept secrets but:
- Green Templeton serves the best food of all Oxford’s colleges (and has a reputation for doing so)
- Walking around the grounds never gets boring (especially when it’s sunny)
- We have pet ducks (that I hear come back every year)
- The porters are lovely
- The Radcliffe Observatory is one of the prettiest buildings in Oxford
If you would like to submit a Student Profile, please contact communications@gtc.ox.ac.uk.
🌌 Last weekend, Green Templeton welcomed Nobel Prize-winning astronomer Professor Brian Schmidt for the latest event in our Astronomy for All series.
Professor Schmidt took a packed audience on a journey through more than 13 billion years of cosmic history, from the Big Bang to the distant future of the Universe. He explored what we know about the cosmos, how we know it and some of the biggest mysteries that remain.
The lecture was chaired by Governing Body Fellow Rob Fender, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford, and continued our celebration of Green Templeton’s connections with Oxford Astrophysics.
Our Oceania Alumni Group is on a roll after successful events in Sydney, Brisbane and last night in Perth.
We`re very thankful to the group`s committee for their energy, commitment and hard work in bringing the community together. It’s wonderful to see connections being strengthened, engagement growing, and the alumni community going from strength to strength.
Exciting times ahead!
If you would like to join a local alumni group, let us know!
Our EMBA and MBA alumni joined us on Friday for our last outdoor afternoon tea of the year.
Alumni from across the globe reunited with old friends, made new connections, and shared their career journeys since Oxford.
Our host, Vice Principal Professor Jonathan Reynolds, welcomed the group and shared the latest developments at Green Templeton College. Most importantly, he reminded them that here, they will always belong.
We can`t wait to welcome more of our community this week for Meeting Minds. We still have a few spaces for alumni wanting to join our college-based events (link in the comments).
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There’s lots happening behind the scenes as work continues on the Radcliffe Observatory.
Here is a peek behind the scenes at the progress so far…
A wonderful evening for the Green Templeton community in Sydney. It is always special to see alumni reconnecting and making new connections wherever they are in the world.
Thank you to Oceania Group and everyone who joined the group’s inaugural annual dinner.
The group’s next gathering takes place in Brisbane on Tuesday 8 September – another welcome opportunity for our alumni and friends in the region to connect.
A great start to what we hope will become a growing tradition for the college`s community across Oceania.
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