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Strategy 2035: ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ London Hackney

Thursday, 20 August, 2026

Back in March, ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ launched its new Strategy 2035. To mark the launch, BSU set about exploring how the University embodies professional creativity throughout its campuses and initiatives, through a series of features on the BSU community. 

Natalie Da Silva is a Student Success Officer at ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ London (BSUL) Hackney, supporting students settling into university life, answering queries, signposting, running events and managing the social media pages and newsletters for BSU’s Hackney site. 

ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿L Hackney is part of ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s thriving higher education community. Nestled on Hoxton Street, in the vibrant borough of Hackney, the University centre continues to attract students as they embark on a new chapter in their lives, supported, alongside its teams of dedicated staff, by Natalie. 

A Multimedia Journalism graduate, Natalie explores her professional creativity within and outside her role at BSU, taking on work experience and building strong networks in addition to her job; she credits BSU’s commitment to work–life balance as playing a key role in sustaining her creativity. She said: 

“Balancing multiple professional interests can be challenging, but having the space to pursue projects outside my primary role often brings fresh perspectives and ideas back into my work.” 

Her proactive approach has opened doors to a multitude of opportunities, including collaborations with major players such as the BBC, Sky News, Disney, YouTube Music, and the MOBO Awards.

Through her freelance work, Natalie has created content with everyone from members of the local community to familiar faces on the red carpet, and continues to draw similarities between her two roles, describing how engaging with students at BSUL Hackney has enhanced her communication, a skill that goes far in the world of journalism: 

“My role is all about speaking to new or returning students. It’s one that requires a lot of social and listening skills, so it's surprisingly very similar. The only difference between my freelance work and role at BSU is that I don't need a microphone in my hand or a camera crew at BSU!”  

Natalie’s work is a prime example of how transferable the skills you can learn at BSU are. By building trust and asking meaningful questions, Natalie creates an open, honest dialogue. In her Student Success Officer role, she works to help students feel confident enough to share their aspirations and reinforces the power of communication. She said: 

“I'm so proud of the career I've built in education. It’s constantly evolving, and there’s always room for improvement when it comes to how I can support students. It warms my heart when they feel comfortable enough to share what they want to get out of university.” 

Find out more about what it's like to work at BSU on the dedicated webpage.