Beth Murray
Beth Murray graduated from Orkney College UHI in 2016 with a BA(Hons) in Archaeology. Beth is now studying for a MSc in Maritime Archaeology at the University of Southampton.
“I’ve been part of several committees during my time in Orkney, both within the university and in the wider Orkney community. These include the Orkney branch of the UHI Archaeology Society, the Orkney Archaeology Society and the Orkney Historic Boat Society. Throughout the course of my degree I have also undertaken volunteering with the UHI Archaeology Institute including excavation and post-excavation activities as well as participating in Open Days.
These activities have helped me to develop skills and interests that I would not have developed otherwise. Volunteering has helped me to grow personally and academically and has opened up new experiences to me. My volunteering also put me ahead of other students when it came to applying for my masters course as it showed how passionate I was about the subject and the range of skills I had developed over the course of my undergraduate degree. Through volunteering I also got to visit new places and meet new people as well as integrate in the local community. I enjoyed the time I spent volunteering and believe it really enriched my experience, both at the university and within Orkney more generally.
I found out about the Saltire Awards during the induction process when I first arrived at Orkney College UHI. It wasn’t until the awards were advertised to lecturers and staff that I was then nominated for a Saltire Summit Award, which recognises an outstanding contribution to volunteering. The Saltire Awards became a great way to recognise as well as keep track of the amount of volunteering I have done since I started at university. A nationally recognised award also means that I have evidence of all the volunteering experience I have collected.”