Who loves a heartwarming friendship story?
 

Kaitlin and Susannah met each other at an SU activity in Freshers – fast-forward a few years later, and the besties have graduated with amazing memories to cherish forever. But let’s go back to the beginning...
 

Before starting at the University of Essex after a gap year, Susannah was anxious about living away from home from the first time but buzzing to meet new people. Kaitlin was excited to start life in a new country at a new university after taking her gap year, too. ✍️ 🧳
 

Eager to find her way around her new home, Kaitlin went on an SU International Student Tour of the university during Freshers. Although Susannah was a British student, she went on the same tour, too, where she met Kaitlin, a fellow Freshers Life Sciences Student.  🤝
 

The two got chatting as they whirled around campus with the tour. They realised they’d both highlighted every single event in the SU Welcome Events Handbook as ones they wanted to attend. During Welcome, the pair had a go at everything, from Squad Games to Freshers Fair, to sports come and try sessions, and the one that really stuck was SU Makes. ✂️
 

‘We’re SU Makes Stans!’ says Kaitlin, who was the number one attendee in first year. Susannah even rocked up for SU Makes every week during the year she was on an industry placement! At the free weekly sessions, they tried easy crafts, making embroidery, paper butterfly terrariums, and Susannah’s fave, linocuts. 🧵 🦋

Although the pair became inseparable, they found their own callings, too. In her first year, Susannah was a member of ten (10!) different societies, and she’s been active in loads of them throughout her time at uni. 💪
 

Theatre Arts Society has Susannah’s heart; as a teenager, she stopped performing after experiencing bad stage fright, but she found her place in the theatre again as a stagehand. In her final year, she won an award at The Tassies (the society’s awards night), to recognise her amazing service – she’s helped at every show since first year. 🎭
 

Kaitlin found her rhythmic feet at Blades Dance Club. She tried out so many styles of dance from heels classes to salsa and surprised herself by making the competition teams for Commercial, Contemporary, and Jazz, despite having no previous training. Last year, the Blades Dance teams had their most successful year on record, bagging 19 trophies across 3 competitions. Kaitlin herself won ‘Standout Veteran’ at the Dance Awards. ‘Dance is in my soul,’ said Kaitlin, ‘so it felt so nice winning the award from my community.’  🏆 💕
 

Even when Susannah and Kaitlin are doing their own things, they’re each other’s biggest cheerleaders, clapping the loudest at theatre shows or travelling far and wide to cheer on the dance club at a comp. 👏
 

Sounds like they’re busy bees, right? As if their studies, sports, and societies weren’t keeping them occupied enough, Susannah and Kaitlin gave so much back to the Essex community through volunteering as Student Reps, Council Reps, SU Trustees, Student Mentors, and by supporting VTeam one-off projects. The great relationships they developed with lecturers via the Student Rep position helped them both secure a paid summer job helping to set up a new vertical farm in the plant laboratory. They helped plants grow and helped their CVs glow!🪴 🔬

‘You don’t do volunteering to get recognition, but it’s lovely when you do!’ says Susannah.Their selfless volunteering didn’t go unnoticed by the SU; Susannah won the Barry Van Eupen Volunteer of the Year award 2025-2026, the High Impact award, and a Platinum Big Essex Award, while Kaitlin won the Most Innovative Rep award, and both won the Outstanding Contribution to The Big Plan Award. 🏆 ✨

The besties are convinced that if they hadn’t been on the same course, they would have met anyway by embracing every single uni opportunity possible. Getting so involved in SU activities meant making loads of other friends, too. On that tour where they first crossed paths, Kaitlin and Susannah met one of their other best friends, Katie. In their final year, the three shared a home where they’re always experimenting with baking, whipping up Japanese cheesecake and more. They’ve also brought the Life Sciences lads to SU Makes sessions, made lifelong friends at sports and societies, and met people from all around the world right on campus. 🤝🗺️
 

‘My mindset going into uni was you get out what you put in, and if you join the most amount of things, you’re gonna get so much more out of your experience,’ said Susannah. So real. The two have graduated rich in experience and special mems, because they put in so much. Good luck for your bright futures, Susannah and Kaitlin – we miss you already! 💛