THE WATT CLUB
Mentoring makes all the difference
How our alumni shape the future of Heriot-Watt University students.
Our alumni mentors play a crucial role. Supporting the next generation of talent to succeed by sharing their expertise and advice, they help to both guide and inspire our students, directly enhancing their employability and personal growth.
“My mentoring experience has been amazing,” comments alum and mentor Helen Onyia, Strategic Project Manager with Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service. “Giving support to mentees and providing guidance gives me joy. It is really satisfying seeing students hungry to learn from people’s experiences while carving their own path.”
Helen also recognises the impact of mentoring on her own life, describing it as giving her greater confidence and making her “less judgemental”. It is an experience that she believes helps her to perform better: “In a nutshell, I am a better version of myself,” she explains.
Celebrating the invaluable contribution mentors make
Helen was one of the mentors who joined a special event hosted by The Watt Club, in partnership with Heriot-Watt University’s Careers Service, to celebrate the invaluable contribution mentors make by giving back in this way.
Held at the University’s Panmure House in Edinburgh, the event was truly inspiring, with alumni sharing their mentoring experience and support of students with their transition into the world of work.
Student Margaret Buganzi is a mentee on the University’s Career Mentoring Programme. “Having a career mentor specific to my industry is so useful, especially while I was trying to land a graduate job,” she explains.
Helping to improve her confidence in that process, she particularly valued gaining a deeper understanding of what employers were looking for and how to present herself more effectively: “I received feedback on each section of my CV, and now I have a master version that is an incredible asset for my career journey,” she comments. Mentor support also helped her to become “more discerning” so she could prioritise jobs where she would “not only thrive but also keep growing as a professional”.
Giving support to mentees gives me joy.”
Helen Onyia
Refreshing, enriching and fun
Their perspectives have helped me.”
Stephanie Williams
Alum Stephanie Williams flew in from Belgium to take part in The Watt Club event. A Linguistic Administrator (Translator and Reviser) for the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)—an EU advisory body that acts as a bridge between the EU's decision-making institutions and EU citizens—she describes the experience of mentoring as “refreshing, enriching, and fun”.
“Supporting individuals to make choices that allow them to find jobs they enjoy is an honour really,” Stephanie comments. “While over the years, conversations with mentees have led me to view aspects of my own work in a different light to good effect!” she explains. “Their perspectives have helped me guide new members of staff at the EESC who, while they may have some years of work experience behind them, have questions and support needs similar to those of undergraduate students about to embark on their career journeys.”
Mentoring has also given Stephanie a new perspective on her Heriot-Watt experience: “In the process of explaining to mentees what options and opportunities are available at the EESC, and in EU institutions more generally, I have come to appreciate even more what my programme—Languages (Interpreting and Translating)—has allowed me to do, both in terms of further study and the variety of posts I have held as a linguist and administrator across language and non-language domains. So, while the University thanks me for mentoring, I would like to say ‘thank you’ to my Alma Mater!”
L-R: Natalie Friel (mentee), Margaret Buganzi (mentee), Stephanie Williams (mentor), Helen Onyia (mentor) at the Thank You event.
Heriot-Watt Thank You event hosted at Panmure House in Edinburgh, May 2025.
Celebrating the invaluable contribution mentors make
Alumni who volunteer their time to act as mentors or give back through guest lectures and input to industry advisory boards, enrich the student experience and enhance the University’s reputation.
“They help us to make a real difference, and we hugely value this way of giving back,” comments Adam Gillies, Alumni Engagement Manager. “With Heriot-Watt’s strategic focus on employability, equipping our students with the right skills to secure the high-skilled positions they desire, as well as meeting the needs of employers in the working world is really vital. Collaborating with our alumni volunteers ensures we continue to open doors for our graduates.”
Karen Beattie, Mentoring Programme Coordinator at Heriot-Watt added: “We can't thank our mentors enough for their dedication and continuing support. They provide students with invaluable insights, professional guidance through complex career landscapes, and the confidence to navigate their future with purpose and impact.”
Alumni volunteers are a crucial part of the Heriot-Watt community. Would you like to make a difference?
Find out about the ways you can volunteer your time to support our Heriot-Watt community.
You can learn more about The Watt Club on our alumni webpages.
Or contact us at watt.club@hw.ac.uk.
