1Can you explain your role in one sentence? My main role involves organising the careers curriculum at King Solomon Academy. I also run assemblies, have one-to-one guidance meetings with students, and organise events with universities and employers to help students understand the world of work.

2How long have you been doing this role? I joined King Solomon Academy straight after university nine years ago, but I have been doing this role for seven years. I originally started as an administrator.

3Did you find yourself in this role by accident or by design? By accident. I really wanted to work in education, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be a teacher. The school had only been open for three years when they hired me as an administrator. My current role was created when the school opened their sixth form.

4What’s the best part about your job? The relationship with the students and staff. I work with incredible teachers who truly care about the students’ welfare. I also really enjoy getting to know the students and seeing them progress through the years.

5What’s the strangest thing that has ever happened to you in your role? Working with teenagers, there’s always something a little strange happening, but one experience stands out. We organise trips abroad to expose students to the real world and we were coming back from a trip to Prague. We were at Prague airport at 10pm, our flight was delayed, and we had another two hours until our flight. The students ended up organising a dance-off in the middle of Prague airport!

6What do you enjoy doing when you are not at work?I love watching live sports, exploring London and the countryside. I also make use of school holidays to explore the world when we’re not in the middle of a pandemic.

7What do you like about this area? I love the diversity of people and businesses. I also love bumping into former students and parents who live locally. It feels like a real community even though we’re in the middle of Central London.

8Where’s your favourite place to go for lunch in the local area? I don’t get much of an opportunity to go out for lunch but when I do I like to take a sandwich and sit down at Paddington Basin. I also love all the Middle Eastern eateries along Edgware Road. My dad’s family comes from Iraq, Armenia and Lebanon so it’s nice to have that connection here.

9Who is YOUR hero and what is it about them that inspires you? It may sound strange as it’s a fictional character, but I would say Paddington Bear is my hero. What is so amazing about him are his values. According to Paddington Bear “if we are kind and polite, the world will be right.” This reflects what we try to teach students at the school.

10If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be?I’ve never been to Armenia, Iraq or Lebanon, where my dad’s family is from. My grandmother still lives in Lebanon and I would love to visit her.