Carmel holds a B.A. in Economic and Social Studies and an M.A. in Community Development. She began working in TUS, Athlone campus in 2018 as the Community Connector for the MEND region, a project working to increase participation among groups under-represented in higher education. Prior to this role she spent 9 years in Vancouver, working with diverse teams and communities in wraparound support and community-based education programmes.
Carmels’ values and approach to working with students and communities is inclusive, participatory and strengths based. Her current role as the Project Access Officer provides pre-entry support through a variety of initiatives and partnerships with community organisations and DEIS schools as well as post-entry support to students accessing and progressing through higher education.