Alumni Leadership Board

Yasmin is a first-year medical student at Imperial College London. She attended the Cardiff Medicine Sutton Trust Summer School in 2019. Coming from a low-income background, she appreciates the importance of social mobility and access to higher education. She has been involved with Sutton Trust as an Alumni Advisor. She also sings in the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, plays in orchestras and fundraises for charities. 

Ask me about…

Life as a medical student and succeeding in medical school applications!

Rory is a third-year Civil Service Fast Streamer currently working as an International Nature Policy Advisor within the Cabinet Office’s Foreign Policy and National Security Secretariat. Prior to his time in government, Rory studied BSc Political Economy at King’s College London and MSc Global Politics at the London School of Economics. He has also spent three years working in the UK Parliament, served as a ‘Global Shaper’ for the World Economic Forum, advised the European Commission as a Young Leader of Industry and stood as a 19-year-old Parliamentary Candidate in the 2017 General Election. 

In 2014, he attended the Sutton Trust’s Economics Programme at the University of Cambridge.

Tom is a School Stakeholder Team Lead at the Department for Education. He has worked across Government, with previous roles including equalities policy at the Cabinet Office and EU trade policy at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. Tom has also enjoyed FCDO secondments, supporting COP26 and the UK’s G7 Presidency in 2021.

Before joining the Civil Service, Tom was an experienced teacher and middle leader in West Yorkshire. He completed Teach First’s Leadership Development Programme in 2019. As a teacher, he worked with the UK Parliament to develop pupils’ understanding of Parliament and democracy, and became an accredited UK Parliament Gold Teacher Ambassador. Tom continues to be Vice Chair of Governors at a primary school in his local area.

As an undergraduate, Tom studied Law at Newcastle University. He completed the Pathways to Law Programme in 2013 (at the University of Nottingham) and the Pathways to Law Plus Programme in 2014-15. Tom has a Masters in Educational Leadership.

Ask me about…

He is always happy to discuss his experiences and career journey with alumni, and he has a particular interest in how education can be used to level-up regional inequalities.

Noshim participated in the Pathways to Banking & Finance programme during his time at sixth form. He attended King’s College London and during his time there he chaired the first Career’s Student Advisory Board and was also a Widening Participation Ambassador. He has done internships within asset management, financial data and private markets and is happy to speak with any alumni interested in the financial industry.

Passionate about enacting social change through access to education, Victoria has spent the last eight years engaging in projects and initiatives that align with this. She uses her personal experiences through public speaking, mentoring and advocacy work to support people from diverse backgrounds to overcome barriers to education, providing them with access to opportunities to reach their full potential. During her time at university she was nationally recognised with the ‘Outstanding Achievement Award’ at the House of Lords for the Student Social Mobility Awards. Most recently, she became one of the global winners of the 2021 McKinsey Achievement Award.

Ask me about…

Victoria is a Keynote Speaker and Writer discussing topics around: social mobility, diversity, intersectionality, personal development, cultural identity, music and pop culture.

Rachel Appiah is an entrepreneur and Pathways to Law alumni from the 2017-19 cohort. Currently studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Exeter, she has always taken an interest in access to higher education and careers opportunities for students of colour, as well as social mobility.// Nowadays, you’ll likely find Rachel supporting those around her through her university’s African Caribbean Society, mentoring or researching decolonial thought and strategy.

Mitesh is based in the East Midlands and is currently a finance manager for a Swedish manufacturing company. He attended the Sutton Trust Summer School program at the University of Nottingham studying Accounting and Finance. He then went on to study Business and Management at the University of Salford before taking up his current role. He is interested in other cultures and passionate about social mobility, which is what attracted him back to a role within the Alumni Board. He is particularly interested in different cultures and the impacts on social mobility.

Ask me about…

Anything finance-related from university course selection to questions about different finance roles. I would love to chat to alumni about their ideas and areas of interest.

Kayley is from a farm outside Newry in Northern Ireland and took part in the 2015 US Programme. She graduated from University College Dublin in August 2021 with a degree in Commerce, during which time she worked with Microsoft as a Supply Chain Manager and within Operations with Amazon. She is now working in the Buying Department of Applegreen, a leading forecourt retailer in Ireland, UK and the US.

After gaining such confidence and skills from her Sutton Trust programme and then experiencing the vast educational inequality in her university in Ireland, she gained a deeper appreciation for the brilliant work the Sutton Trust are doing to remove barriers in education in the UK. Armed with these motivators, she is driven in working with the ALB to further social mobility and equal opportunity for all within the UK.

Ask me about…

She would love to hear from alums from Northern Ireland and is happy to chat to anyone with an interest in Big Tech or retail roles, or help anyone looking to study or get into business!

Daniel is from Peterborough, and is in his second year of studying History and Politics at the University of Oxford. He participated in the Durham University History summer school in 2019, and is the first in his immediate family to got university. Daniel decided to get involved in the Alumni Leadership Board because he wanted to give back for the support the Trust continually provides. Daniel works with a variety of organisations including Zero Gravity, The Social Mobility Foundation and Potential Plus UK among others, focusing on educational inequality and levelling the playing field.

Ask me about…

Studying at Oxford, having a disability, and volunteering in the social mobility space.

After the Sutton Trust Summer School in 2014, Jade went on to study Aeronautics & Astronautics at the University of Southampton. She experienced a mechanical engineering placement at Leonardo, before moving into Technology at London Stock Exchange group. She is currently working in ForexClear as a Java Developer but has experienced many roles through the Graduate & Internship programmes. Jade assists in outreach projects as part of the LSEG Foundation, as well as volunteering as a Mentor / Role Model for Urban Synergy. She is passionate about helping those from disadvantaged and minority backgrounds to pursue careers in technology.

Ask me about…

• Applying for & studying Engineering.
• Working in the Technology Sector.
• Moving into Technology from another field.
• Long term health conditions in the workplace.
• Anything you like, happy to have a chat & no such thing as a stupid question!

Abda is a business development professional with work experience in cybersecurity companies and tech start-ups in London. She has worked with private and public sector organisations to provide robust security solutions amidst the rising cyber threats. // Abda has decided to get involved in the ALB to contribute to Sutton Trust research projects and build a Sutton Trust Alumni network of professionals in London.

Sofia is from and currently lives in Port Talbot, South Wales. She attended the University of Cambridge Summer School 2013 for Modern Languages. Being the first in my family to enter higher education, she graduated from University of Bristol in 2018 with a First in Italian and Spanish BA. She now works as a freelance journalist and creative consultant. She has written for The Independent, VICE and Cosmopolitan, all with a particular focus on social justice, and most recently is working as a researcher on a documentary series. She is also a Project Co-ordinator of A Writing Chance, a scheme co-founded by Michael Sheen to support aspiring writers from under-represented backgrounds by providing mentoring, bursaries and more. She has long been passionate about social mobility and equality, with a particular focus on increasing opportunities for under-represented voices in the media and creative industries. She firmly believes that when we open up access to these sectors, we can all benefit from a richer culture and a fairer, more democratic society. She is particularly excited to contribute to this goal through the ALB. She has long admired and been influenced by Sutton Trust’s work around Access to the Workplace, and was compelled to be part of shaping policy and direction through joining the ALB.

Ask me about…

Journalism, media and the creative industries, as well as translation and advice about working internationally. She also has a special interest in increasing opportunities for alumni based in Wales.

Muzammil is a Trainee Solicitor at Clifford Chance and has worked across the firm’s Corporate, Real Estate and Capital Markets groups on keynote transactions spanning Europe, Asia, Africa and the US. He has further experience working with investment banks, insurers and start-ups. // He holds an LLB in Law from the University of Leicester and a Masters in Law from BPP University, prior to which he attended the Pathways to Law programme with the University of Nottingham. He works with several schools, colleges and universities with the aim of supporting social mobility and has joined the Alumni Leadership Board to further champion the same.

Ask me about…

Feel free to reach out to Muzammil for any questions related to the fields of Law or Banking!

Neil is a Senior Translation Project manager at Etymax working across their global portfolio with clients spanning Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America. He manages their Central and Eastern European departments, is former French lead, and has experience in Chinese having worked in Education Management in Chengdu. He frequently conducts intern and student training, and holds an MSc in Central and Eastern European, Russian and Eurasian studies from the University of Glasgow, and an BA in Modern Languages from the University of Exeter. He has also studied at Saint Petersburg State University, Kazan Federal University, and the University of West Bohemia as a language scholarship recipient, and won the 2022 UK entry for the Susanna Roth Czech Young Translators’ Prize. He took part in the Sutton Trust Summer School at St Andrew’s in 2011.

Ask me about…

Translation and localisation industries, international education opportunities, living and working abroad.

Mary grew up in Hackney, inner-city London. She is the first in her immediate family to graduate from university and is a strong advocate for social mobility and diversity. Mary graduated from the Pathways to Law Programme in 2014. Following this, she studied law at the University of Essex. In her third year of University, Mary studied abroad for a year at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Whilst in Hong Kong, she volunteered at a local primary school and participated in various projects. Upon her return, Mary sat as the BAME Officer for the Student’s Union to help cultivate better experiences and opportunities for students from ethnic minority backgrounds.

She also co-founded the University of Essex’s TEDx society that hosted the first-ever student-run TEDx Live event at the University. After graduating, Mary was fortunate to get a full scholarship from the Law Society’s Diversity Access Scheme and has completed the Legal Practice Course with a Master in Law Business and Management at The University of Law. She currently works as a Paralegal.

 Ask me about…

Volunteering, university, studying/living abroad, scholarships, project management

Philip is a second-year student studying Economics and Mathematics at the University of Glasgow. Having grown up in a rural Scottish community, his goal is to increase opportunities in these areas and help widen access to higher education. Philip is also a part of the trading and investment club at his university with an interest in the financial world. Outside of his studies, he also enjoys bodybuilding.

Thonmoy is a second-year medical student at the Hull York Medical School. They attended the Cambridge Medicine Sutton Trust Summer School in 2020. They are currently a student ambassador involved with local Sutton Trust projects, and the Student Research Society, along with fundraising for charity. They have joined the Sutton Trust as an alumni board member due their interest in furthering social mobility.

Jade is from Doncaster in South Yorkshire and took part in the 2017 US Programme. She is currently in her final year studying for an International (MA Cons) degree at The University of Edinburgh.

Jade has worked for a pro-bono third-sector consultancy company in Scotland for two years. Her previous professional experience includes working in a secondary comprehensive school with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities children and interning at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. She also has volunteering and leadership experience in sustainable development.

Ask me about…

Opportunities in education! I have constantly pursued opportunities to advance my educational career and I am more than happy to assist anyone who would like to do the same. Or, third sector work!