Gemma Standen is a Widening Participation Officer at UEA (University of East Anglia), supporting mature and commuter students across their educational lifecycle. As well as helping students to access to higher education, Gem is an avid researcher, currently undertaking a PhD and teaching part-time in UEA’s School of Education. Her research interests include motivations for study and continuation, as well as student experiences from groups underrepresented in higher education.