From students to alumni: Welcome to our newest graduates

Class of 2026 joins the global LSE alumni community

After all the hard work is completed, graduation is the special moment students get to celebrate with their friends, family and faculty, before embarking on their next journey. Though they may no longer be studying at LSE, they now have a lifelong connection with the School by automatically joining our global alumni community.

This summer over 3,000 students have graduated, growing our global alumni population to over 243,000. This vast and wonderful network is theirs to build personal and professional connections, wherever they may find themselves around the world.

Naturally, new graduates may wonder how to navigate the next chapter in their lives. Several generous alumni spoke at graduation ceremonies, sharing their top tips on how best to approach this.

How we can change the world

Ketan Patel (BSc Accounting and Finance 1983) reflects on his career and the ability to adapt and make a difference, thanks to his studies at LSE.

"What I know now, that I could not have imagined standing on the steps of the LSE at 21, is how exciting the journey ahead was to be. My degree gave me rigour and a way of thinking. Life then took over."

"I have worked across China, India and the United States, advising governments through turbulent decades. I became a partner at KPMG in my twenties, joined Goldman Sachs in my thirties, and started my own investment firm in my forties. I moved to New York on September 11th, 2001. In moments like that you learn quickly what matters, and feel the pulse of history."

"In my late forties I undertook the kora at Mount Kailash, reaching 18,500 feet, among the most demanding things I have ever done. In my sixties, I undertook a masters in neuroscience, not for career reasons, but because questions about how we think felt critical."

Through a foundation I established, called Force for Good, I have been working with friends on how we can change the world. My advice... ground yourself in values, become the best version of you, and the world may shape you to do extraordinary things in the service of others.

Leave a lasting impression

Seema Arora (BSc Accounting and Finance 1996) encourages new graduates to be consistent, work hard and define your own success.

"When I graduated, I thought success was about earning the right title. Looking back, I realise it’s about the impact you have on the people around you; your clients, colleagues and team. It’s the small things, done consistently over time, that build trust, create opportunities and leave a lasting impression. That kind of success is far more rewarding than any job title."

"One lesson I’ve carried throughout my career is that your reputation is everything. Work hard, stay curious and never be afraid to admit when you don’t know something, you can always learn. People will remember your integrity far longer than they’ll remember whether you had all the answers."

"If I could give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be to stop spending so much energy trying to prove myself. I still catch myself doing it today."

The only approval that truly matters is your own. Define success on your terms, set ambitious boundaries and don’t be afraid to push them. Fittingly, my name, Seema, means “boundary” in Hindi, and I’ve always believed in pushing mine. Work hard, celebrate your wins and enjoy the journey. Congratulations, graduates, I can’t wait to see where it takes you.

Take the risk

Mohadeseh Abdullahi (BSc Geography with Economics 2016) shares how much can be gained from being curious and taking the more challenging option.

"When I arrived at LSE, I thought that if I worked hard enough, the path after graduation would become clear: choose the right job, make the right move, keep going. Life has been far more interesting - and far less tidy - than that. Since then, I have found myself many times at the crossroads between the safer option and the one that asked more of me. The harder path has rarely been the most comfortable, but it has often taught me the most, introduced me to people who changed my direction, and opened doors I could not yet see."

LSE gave me rigour and discipline, but it also gave me a habit I still rely on: curiosity. It taught me to challenge assumptions, follow unexpected paths, and keep learning long after the classroom. To the graduating class, I would say this: keep close the people who challenge and champion you, take the risk when the path is not yet clear, and stay generous as you rise. Success is not an individual sport. You do not need to have it all figured out before you begin; stay open, stay kind, and do not wait for perfect readiness. Start anyway.

Progress isn't linear

Rita Gupta (LLB 1995) advises recent alumni to focus on their own journeys and not what everyone else is doing.

"When I graduated, I believed life had to be mapped out by twenty-one: the job, the plan, the next ten years plotted with complete certainty. I know now that isn't true. For some of us, the path takes longer, and it doesn't run in a straight line. Progress isn’t linear. Success doesn't arrive on the same schedule for everyone, and it rarely looks the way we imagined it would or the same as others. Mine came later than I expected, and in a shape I hadn't planned for."

What changed things was not forcing myself into a mould that didn't fit but paying attention to what I was actually good at, the unique, specific talents that felt more like instinct and were me, rather than emulating someone else. Staying true to my own interests and talents, rather than chasing what looked impressive from the outside, is what brought me here. If there is one thing I would tell my twenty-one-year-old self, it is this: your timeline is not a verdict, and plans can change and evolve.

Graduation is just the beginning

Fernanda Ferreccio (MPP 2023) reminds graduates that it is ok to not know what is next and to be open-minded to life’s curveballs.

"What I know now is that you do not need to have everything figured out on graduation day. My own path has taken me from law and public service in Chile to working in the UK across public policy, technology, and digital transformation, often in areas I never expected to work in when I was a student. Finding the right path can be difficult, and careers often become clearer through trying things, meeting people, staying curious, and learning what kind of work feels meaningful to you."

LSE gave me tools, confidence, friends, and a way of approaching complex problems, but much of the learning has happened since: in projects, conversations, mistakes, deadlines, and the messy reality of trying to make ideas work in practice. Graduation is not the moment when you need to have all the answers. It is the beginning of testing what you know and what you can do in the world, while staying open to paths you did not expect.

Stay curious

Annelie Ajami (MSc Global Politics 2013) highlights the importance of persevering, especially during challenging times, and paving the way for others.

"Here's what I didn't know at graduation. That not having the answers isn't a problem to solve, but a reason to stay curious. That curiosity would become my craft. That I would probably lose more than I win - but that losing well, getting back up every single time, is what really counts. To stay in the ring when everyone else throws in the towel. That nothing I'm proud of, I would do alone."

There was always someone who believed in me, backed me, opened a door I couldn't open myself. What I know now is that success isn't a finish line you cross. It's a habit. It's a cadence - stay curious, keep getting up, and hold the door open for the next person.

Come back and visit us

Following graduation, our alumni may go back to their home countries or move further afield but whenever they are in London, they are most welcome to visit us here.

The Alumni Centre is the space on campus for all alumni to work, relax and connect with old (and new) friends, over complimentary refreshments and newspapers.