Expert Volunteer of the Year 2023
Recognising the impact of outstanding industry experts
Volunteer of the Year Award 2023
This year's award goes to Vibha Ghei, Regulatory Oversight Management at the Bank of New York Mellon!
Throughout this academic year we have been supported by hundreds of Industry Expert Volunteers; from pitching sessions to Showcase shortlisting, we are incredibly grateful for the many hours of valuable time and expertise that have been given to students.
This year, the Volunteer of the Year award goes to Vibha Ghei, Regulatory Oversight Management at the Bank of New York Mellon. Vibha dedicated her own time on the evenings and weekends to ensure she reviewed every single Showcase entry submitted this year! She took the time to give valuable constructive feedback to all of the teams to help them progress their ideas and gave them specific praise to boost their confidence!
A huge thank you to Vibha and to all of our other incredible volunteers who have supported us so far this year - we couldn’t do it without you!
Q&A with Vibha Ghei
How have you supported Apps for Good students?
I have spent evenings after work and weekends reviewing and rating the apps developed by the students. I don’t do this during my working hours so I can give my undivided attention to the efforts put in by everyone and do them justice. I also try to provide constructive feedback, wherever possible.
Tell us about the ideas the students shared with you.
I was really impressed by the innovative ideas the students came up with, ranging from tackling pollution to women’s hygiene, safety for children, cutting down plastic and many more!
What did you gain from the experience?
This was an amazing experience and it gave me a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction. I feel that I have provided a positive contribution to the efforts made by the students. This activity always provides a sense of purpose and happiness.
How do you think industry engagement benefits young people?
Industry engagement helps young people by exposing them to real-world experience and provides them with opportunities to gain practical knowledge. It not only helps them in building connections and networking but also helps them in developing specific skills at an early age.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking about volunteering as an expert to support Apps for Good students?
This is one of the most rewarding volunteering opportunities one can ever come across as it’s full of ideas from the next generation who are much more imaginative, creative, and raring to go. Because of this, it is very important as a volunteer to give your 100% to make this entire journey rewarding for the students and give them the best and the most constructive feedback possible as they are the future.
What top advice would you give your younger self?
Be confident and ask as many questions as you can as there is no such question as a “daft question”. The only question that is a daft question is the one that you never asked because you never got to know the answer. I would also say embrace curiosity and continuous learning which is the key to success but at the same time don’t be afraid of failures. Failures are the biggest and the best teachers.