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Beyond graduation: how our graduates are making a difference across Greater Manchester

17 Jul 2026

Anna, Emilia and Wafia's Manchester story continues beyond graduation, as they set out to make a lasting difference across Greater Manchester in environmental science, the arts and cancer care.

Wafia

We've followed Anna, Emilia and Wafia through graduation, hearing about the people who shaped their time at Manchester and what this moment means to them. But their stories don't end at Whitworth Hall.

Making a difference has been part of the University's purpose since its foundation, and every year thousands of students carry that purpose into the communities around them, through volunteering, placements, partnerships and social action across Greater Manchester.

For many students, that work starts long before graduation. Alongside their studies, students volunteer and work with local schools, charities and healthcare services, taking on real challenges facing the city region while building the skills and confidence to keep making a difference long after they've left campus.

For a lot of graduates, Manchester doesn't stop being home once they've picked up their degree. Many choose to stay in the North West, going on to support public services, drive innovation, and contribute to the communities that shaped their own university experience.

Anna, Emilia and Wafia are among them. Their ambitions, in environmental sustainability, in the arts, and in cancer care, are all rooted in the same city that gave them their start.

Wafia's placement experience left her drawn towards oncology, and to a mentor who told her there'd always be a place for her at the Christie. Emilia's work on the Theatre in Prisons course has already shown her the impact the arts can have on people who need it most. And Anna's masters in environmental science has set her on a path towards environmental law, tackling the challenges facing the city she now calls home.

To mark graduation, we spoke to all three about the difference they've made during their time at Manchester, and how they hope to keep making one across Greater Manchester in the years ahead.