Grew up in Hackney, East London, in single parent household with my three brothers. For a combination of reasons outside of my control, until year eight I wasn’t the best-behaved pupil at school. Then doctors told my mum that she had a blood clot in her brain and a very slim chance of surviving. She had surgery, which meant she couldn’t walk or talk properly for about a year, and I helped care for her at home. She’s fine now, but it was a difficult time.
All of that was a turning point for me in terms of behavior. I just wanted to contribute as little stress as possible and started to take school more seriously. By the time I sat my GCSEs I ended up getting the best results in my year.
At the time you could apply to multiple programmes and I ended up taking part in Pathways to Law, the US Programme and I spent a week doing economics at Cambridge at a UK Summer School. The programmes were really eye-opening for me, not only because they gave me the ability to visit universities, but because they offered me the chance to meet like-minded, ambitious students from similar backgrounds to me.
One experience that stands out was doing my first corporate work experience on Pathways to Law. Spending a week at Clifford Chance was really good for me, firstly because being there made me realise that law might not actually be for me. Secondly, it introduced me to investment banking. On the last day we spoke to inhouse lawyers from investment banks and from that introduction I started to look deeper into it. It’s now the sector I want to go into.
After the programmes I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go for university so I took a gap year. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made as it meant I didn’t have to rush into a decision. Now I’m studying a course I love at LSE.
After my first year of university I established #MadeInHackney, a project where I go into local schools and speak to the students about my journey, how to access support, and run CV and personal statement workshops. The response has been overwhelming. Students send messages on social media saying how happy they are to have someone they can look up to who looks like them, is from the same place and has a similar background.
I’ve also been involved with Pathways to Banking & Finance since it launched. I was first a mentor for students on the programme and I’m now a member of the Pathways Advisory Group. The PAG is a group of professionals from the finance industry who get together to steer the direction of the programme and to work together to create change in the sector. I’m the youngest person in the room at these meetings and at first I thought, “am I qualified to be here?” But then I thought about it: the programme is for people like me, so I do have the qualifications to be there. I bring a different perspective to the discussions and the other members always ask me what I think.
After I graduate from university next year, I want to start work in an investment bank. I’ve been exploring different front office roles as I definitely want to do something that’s client facing. My long-term goal is to be able to teach young people from less advantaged backgrounds how to create then consolidate wealth, so that they can move upwards in the world.
Whatever society makes you think is a disadvantage, use it to your advantage, because that’s what makes you stand out.