Alexander Sheppard

Member of The Dean's List, class of 2020

Alexander’s competitive nature and pro-active approach to independent learning and employability, along with his community spirit, earned him a place on the Dean’s List.

Taking the initiative

Alexander sought to develop his skills by taking part in Careers Service workshops, one-to-one advisor sessions to improve his CV, and 301 sessions with a statistics specialist. He completed the Employability Passport, taught himself computer coding and learnt how to use software programmes like Eikon and STATA. He registered with the University Student Scheme of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), to make use of their online skills building and Excel training resources.

Alexander’s perseverance and preparation led him to reach the final top 10 candidates in the assessment process for the Thames Water Graduate Scheme, out of a pool of over 1,000 applicants. Alexander hopes to pursue a career in accountancy.

A sense of community

He proactively engaged with his student community, hosting dinner parties for multicultural colleagues to encourage social interaction and inviting two fellow students from China to join him at home for the Christmas vacation.

During the panic-buying period at the start of the pandemic, he went shopping for essential supplies on behalf of his course mates who did not have access to transport.

Championship cycling

As a member of the Sheffield University Cycling Club, he attended twice-weekly club rides and helped to raise over £1,400 for local Sheffield charities, by completing a whopping 400km sponsored cycle from Sheffield to Glasgow as part of the Bummit Society charity hitchhike.

Alexander’s drive and competitive spirit led to sporting success. He was chosen to represent the University of Sheffield at the BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) Cycling Hill Climb Championships.