Alumni profile - Lovena Kureemun

19 July 2020

Why did you study International Science and Engineering at Queen Mary? What sparked your interest in this specific degree? Science has always been my passion from a young age. Coming from an island in the Indian Ocean which is remote to many places around the world has made me become an explorer by nature. I always like to discover new things and new methods of doing things differently. The course at Queen Mary not only satisfied my passion for science and engineering but also my desire to explore new cultures as students all around the world enrol on this specific course. Indeed, it was a win-win situation for me to study the International Science and Engineering course at Queen Mary University of London.

What aspects of your degree did you find most enjoyable? What modules did you like learning about and was there anything that surprised you in your studies? English, although this might sound strange given that I was studying for an engineering course. The rationale being that I was incredibly good in science and mathematics in my high school days, however I used to always find myself lagging in English. The English module taught at the University gave me a new perspective on the language and enabled me to understand the basics of the language. My teacher Lizz was amazing, very kind and very supportive. The international foundation programme also made me realise the importance of getting the basics right in everything we do.

Why did you choose to study at Queen Mary in particular? I chose to study at Queen Mary for three main reasons. Firstly, for its reputation of having so many alumni as noble prize laureates in the field of science; secondly, because of the course programme I enrolled on which met all of the criteria that I was looking for; and thirdly, because of the location, London!

Can you describe your career path up to date and touch on your current role? After completing my course with distinction at Queen Mary, I decided to take a few months out of academic life to explore my creative side. I went to study acting at RADA, attending the Young Actors workshop. Afterwards, I spent one semester at East 15 Acting School. I then moved to New York City, where I got admission to the Two Year Conservatory Acting Programme at the prestigious The Lee Strasberg Theatre Film Institute. I emerged as a confident and fully trained actress after the course and I was driven to share my skills to actors all over the world. Hence, I wrote and published an acting book, Acting is Acting, when I was in New York City which has been awarded as the best 100 Acting Books of all time. I have recently released my second book, 18 Laws of Achievement, and I have signed a movie playing a supporting role.

Huge congratulations on publishing your second book ‘18 Laws of Achievement.’ What motivated you to write this book? What are some of the key points people can take away from your book? My main motivation to write this book is to inspire others not to give up on their dreams and goals. We all have dreams and goals, but never have the courage to pursue them. The purpose of the book is to boost the confidence and courage in others to allow them to achieve their personal/ career goals.

I wrote the book following the personal struggles I have encountered in my everyday life and the lessons I have learnt along my journey. I am a self-employed author and actor working independently. I come from a small island and I have taken different education paths. I moved from Mauritius to London to study at Queen Mary at the age of 17, I then moved to New York City at the age of 19 for my acting training. I published my first book at the age of 21. I have learnt a lot throughout this journey and discovered the mantra for achieving goals which I decided to share in my book, 18 Laws of Achievement.

After reading my book, people can have a different perspective of how they can tackle their dreams and goals. They can bring changes in their daily lives, such as self-discipline, self-motivation and how to eliminate self-doubt. After reading the book, the reader will also emerge as a more positive person who has a new perspective of how to see life and their dreams.

How did your time and study at Queen Mary help your career and development? My time at Queen Mary has been extremely helpful for my personal growth. It was the first time being far away from my country and being surrounded by students from different countries. This allowed me to make new friends, learn about new cultures and adapt to new environments and people. After studying at Queen Mary, I started to have a different perspective of the world and I started to see opportunities in many areas in life.

I was only 17 when I joined Queen Mary and I consider myself very fortunate to be part of a rich international platform at such an early stage in my life; Queen Mary made me become more comfortable, more flexible and more independent. Furthermore, the vast exposure to international students during my studies at the university gave me the confidence to move to New York City on my own after I graduated.

Is there any advice you would give to current students or recent graduates considering their career options? My advice to current students is to enjoy student life at Queen Mary, bearing in mind that “enjoy” does not mean that they should neglect their studies. I would advise them to study hard and focus on maintaining their grades, but at the same time to have great experiences and make great memories which they will later cherish. This will also be helpful for when they write about their time at Queen Mary like I am doing right now!

My advice to recent graduates is if you haven't found what you are truly passionate about, or you have graduated and you still do not have a clue what you want to become, do not worry too much, you will eventually find your true calling. My advice would be that your career should be something you are passionate about. You should not take a job only because of the big salary you are being offered. You get one life and as a recent graduate, you are young and full of energy to go and embrace the world. So, take it slow.

What was so special about your time at Queen Mary? Can you give one or two examples of your most memorable moments? Queen Mary will always have a special place in my heart. I remember during orientation week the leader of my course, Priscilla, organized an event with my fellow classmates to go out for lunch and bowling. It was the best way to kick off my journey at Queen Mary. I can still remember that day very clearly when we all met up at the Fogg Building on campus and then went to Westfield Shopping Centre in Stratford and had lunch together. It is a very memorable day for me as on that very first day, us students were able to connect and make friends with one another.

My second memorable and special moment at Queen Mary was my presentation class where I had to present in front of the class in small teams. It was such a relief to know that everyone was going through the same pressure and I was not on my own in having stage fright. It was also a great opportunity for me to learn from my classmates. I realized that day that we were all so unique and yet so similar.

Do you have a favourite spot on campus? One of my favourite spots on campus is Library Square. The area is always filled with students walking around. You can always find students in groups chatting and meeting up before and after their classes. I remember I made my very first friend at Library Square while I was waiting for class during the very first week on campus.

Do you have any books or exciting projects that you are currently working on, or that you’d like to pursue in the future? I have lots of exciting and creative projects in the pipeline. I am working on my second self-help book at the moment and I have also been involved in script writing for movies. I have actually wrote a script for a movie which will be released in the UK towards the end of 2020!