I remember when I completed my final A-Level exam in June 2019 leaving that exam hall relieved that all my exams were finally completed but at the same time worried about the future and what was to come. It’s a lot for an 18-year-old thinking about leaving the comfort of an environment you’ve been adjusted to for the past 7 years of your life; I went into my secondary school aged 11 and finally left through the sixth form, certificate in hand, and looking forward to what the future held for me. And it’s these memories of being an optimistic yet confused student that’s brought me to becoming a Student Ambassador especially as it’s given me the chance to talk to other students and tell them about all the different options they have, especially studying here at LSE.

Born and raised in Tower Hamlets, one of the most deprived boroughs of London, getting into higher education was the goal for any 16-18 year old especially for myself and my peers around me. We all had great aspirations and plans to improve our communities, giving back to it, and helping others uplift themselves. Being a Student Ambassador has given me this chance to talk to students from similar backgrounds to myself, to encourage them to enter higher education, and apply for a prestigious university like LSE. But perhaps the most memorable moment for me was visiting my sixth form to deliver a presentation about studying at LSE and university life in general. I left those doors one last time in August 2019, only to return almost four years later to talk to the new cohorts of Year 12 and Year 13 students.

When I entered, it felt like a completely new place to the one I left behind. New teachers, new equipment, new administration, new everything. My sixth form had evolved a lot in the time I was away from it. Like myself and my peers, a lot of the students were confused about what to do after A-Levels, especially the Year 13 students who at this point were busy revising for their upcoming exams. But as I explained to them about how it is studying at LSE, all the opportunities I’ve been grateful to receive (such as the incredible Uggla Family Scholars Programme), and all the fascinating things I learn, they all seemed much more hopeful of their future. I’d especially learnt from my sixth form teachers that the students received my presentation very well with many of the Year 12 students looking forward to applying to LSE when their application period comes.

Alongside this, I was also able to have A-Level students shadowing me to one of my History lectures, many of them coming from similar backgrounds as myself. Being able to see student life in action had given them the much-needed confidence for what it takes at university and being able to reach their goals.

There are no doubt a lot of students in sixth forms who come from deprived areas who are amongst some of the most intelligent students in the country with a lot of ambition and aspirations to improve the future. But these outreach opportunities that LSE provides helps many of them find themselves on a much clearer track as to what they want to do in the future and how they want to get there.

Learn more about LSE’s Uggla Family Scholars Programme, which has 10 scholarships available every year for new students worth over £20,000 each year!