Katarzyna Dybisz

Medical Neuroscience master's student, currently working as Lead Ambassador for Widening Participation, as Life Sciences Ambassador, and Sussex University administration assistant. I have an extensive experience of working with young people, especially from underpresented backgrounds; excellent communication, presentation and interprersonal skills; and above all, I am profoundly dedicated to making a positive social difference within each and every work environment I engage with. While my interests are broad and continually expanding, I am most invested in optimization of life outcomes for persons with mental health issues/cognitive difficulties.  

Widening Participation Lead Ambassador (Nov 2017 - Present, 4 yrs, 4 mos, Brighton)

• Providing information and advice on accessing higher education in a positive and impartial manner, particularly targeting students from disadvantaged backgrounds
• Facilitating discussions with students (primary-age onwards), teachers and parents by drawing on personal and professional experience
• Liaising with the team to develop audience-specific educational resources
• Proactively supporting and/or delivering local, outreach and virtual campus tours, presentations, workshops and seminars
• Leading collaborative projects
• Supervising students throughout on-campus events; and over night during residential summer schools
• Completing administrative tasks, including seasonal Call Centre work and Excel data entry
• Student Experience and academic video creation
• Writing Ambassador Newsletter; and several blog posts/articles about the different aspects of Student Life
• Answering student queries on Unibuddy online platform
• Training new cohorts of ambassadors, including Peer Mentoring
• Editing Documents
• Regularly submitting constructive feedback and offering feasible strategies for improvement

Sussex University Admissions Assistant (Sep 2021 - Present, 6 mos, Brighton)

• Answering all phone and web-chat enquiries; signposting to relevant resources and departments; answering emails; authorising student letters 

Life Science Ambassador (March 2021 - Present, 1 year, Brighton)

• Life-sciences specific content development and delivery
• Answering subject-related queries during virtual open days
• Utilizing all lived experience to help students make informed decisions about their future study and career plans

Technical Support Assistant (TIP Conference 2022, University of Sussex, 1 week-long work opportunity, Brighton)

• Running academic sessions on Socio Platform 
• Managing all technical difficulties by effectively communicating with the speakers and the rest of the team

Teaching Assistant (Teaching Personnel, Jun 2021 - Present, 6 mos)

• Supporting delivery of teaching sessions in secondary schools, including working with special educational needs or disabilities (SEN) students

Care Leavers Forum Representative (Southampton City Council) (volunteer) (Sep 2017 - Present, 4 yrs, 6 mos)

Sharing lived experiences during foster career training sessions, award events and school visits, with the aim of improving educational performance of looked-after children and care-leavers

Sussex Seasonal Admissions Assistant (Aug 2019 - Present, 2 yrs, 7 mos, Brighton)

• Answering all phone enquiries during the Clearing Week and the subsequent two weeks (every year, since starting the scheme)
• Providing information, regarding the status of one's UCAS application; including the steps needed to achieve the desired outcome
• Completing Clearing and Adjustment Applications
• Utilising own experience to provide academic, housing and student finance-related advice
• Providing useful contacts and diverting phone calls unerringly

Campus Ambassador (Sep 2020 - Nov 2021, 1 yr, 3 mos, Brighton)

• Providing assistance and helpful guidance during the student arrivals weekend, welcome week, and throughout the majority of first term.
• Answering all student queries and signposting competently.
• Ensuring all students and campus visitors understand and follow the covid-related guidelines. 
• Reporting any Sussex conduct breaches to the Security Team when necessary. 
• Providing constructive feedback on the relevant aspects of University Service.

Library Connector (Jun 2021 - Aug 2021, 3 mos, Brighton)

• Reviewing and providing feedback on the existing Library Policies
• Editing Documents
• Organising Team meetings
• Allocating group tasks fairly and productively
• Integrating all evaluative comments, ensuring all perspectives are successfully communicated and addressed 

Student Room Representative (Jun 2020 - Jul 2021, 1 year, 1 mo, Brighton)

• Answering all university-related queries on the Sussex Student Room virtual platform, including identifying additional threads that could benefit from our input
• Staying up to date with all the relevant university policies, the services-on-offer, GCSE and A Level grading system, and the higher education SFE funding information
• Referring students to the most appropriate university contacts and resources, if and when necessary
• Training new cohorts of the Student Room Representatives

Youth Worker (Extra Time, May 2019- Jul 2019, 3 mos) 

• Working and playing with groups of children and young people with and without additional needs, including mental, cognitive and physical disabilities
• Helping to organise and engage all individuals in fun and educational activities
• Preparing snacks and if appropriate, assisting children/young people with eating
• Aiding with keeping the venue clean, tidy and secure.
• Effectively communicating with the Team, as well as the parents/carers about the levels of engagement and progress of all individuals, and trouble-shooting any behavioural concerns at the earliest opportunit

Blue Arrow Agency Worker (Jun 2017 - Sep 2017, 4 mos, Southampton)

• Cleaning and housekeeping 
• Catering 
• Waitressing 
• Supervising responsibilities

Aspiring Young Teacher Volunteer (Bitterne Park School, Nov 2015 - Jun 2016, 8 mos, Southampton)

• Assisting and supervising Year 6 students during Maths and English lessons
• Establishing a strong rapport with students, especially those in the need of additional support
• Staying well-informed about the general and individual learning objectives, and helping to devise personalised strategies for meeting them
• Consistently providing written and verbal feedback, regarding the lesson content and structure
• Keeping a self-assessment track record and regularly updating it with pertinent follow-up targets

Sales and catering assistant (Roma's Pizza and Italian Restaurant, Oct 2015-Dec 2015, 3 mos)

• Collecting food orders 
• Cash-handling 
• Catering, baking and cleaning

Aldi Stock Assistant (Feb 2015-Sep 2015, 8 mos, Romsey)

• Providing outstanding customer service 
• Managing complaints aptly 
• Accepting deliveries and re-stocking 
• Maintaining food safety guidelines 
• Assisting with cleaning duties

Sales assistant (volunteer) (Jul 2014 - Dec 2014, 6 mos, Southampton)

• Assuring prompt and friendly customer help 
• Accepting and keeping a record of all donations 
• Labelling and re-stocking 
• Conducting sales

Medical Neuroscience Integrated Masters with a Study Year Abroad (expecting 1.1)