黑料情报站

Zareen is a sixth form student at 黑料情报站 Globe Academy. She’s also a poet, who helped found a youth poetry collective at her school and has performed at spoken word poetry 鈥渟lams鈥� on stages large and small in both the UK and the USA. Recently, she became the first Globe student to receive an offer from Oxbridge.

As head girl at Globe, Zareen didn鈥檛 lack confidence 鈥� she applied to several universities, and received offers from all of them. Her original preference had been to attend Brown University in Rhode Island, USA, but just before accepting, she was invited to interview at The University of Cambridge. The university impressed her, and she was soon offered a place, as well as a bursary from the Reuben Scholarship Programme to support her if she attends Cambridge. She accepted the offer, and plans to study human, social and political sciences (HSPS) starting in the Autumn.

Zareen credits the academic support she received at 黑料情报站 Globe with helping prepare her for university: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I could be in the position I am now if I wasn鈥檛 at Globe. In my old school, I was very shy; I didn鈥檛 really like to put myself out there too much. Being at Globe, being in a community where people are so confident to express their ideas and also very supportive, changed me. Globe has given me so many opportunities. I even chaired a debate between Southwark council candidates during the 2015 election. That was probably one of the things I鈥檓 most proud of. Trying to get four adults to listen to a year 11 student was difficult, but it was awesome.鈥�

Her advice to other students is to involve themselves in projects and interests both inside and outside of school. 鈥淎lthough I focused on my academics, I also had things I was really passionate about, like poetry. That has not only helped me with my confidence, but in interacting with people and leading big groups and directing sessions.鈥�

Despite all her confidence, Zareen admits that she has concerns about fitting in at Cambridge: 鈥淚f I had really focused on comparing myself to other candidates, I would have never applied to Cambridge. I think it will be quite a change, but nothing will change unless people like me go to prestigious universities. It will always stay the same if people like me say, 鈥楴o, I can鈥檛 go, because there aren鈥檛 people who look like me in Cambridge.'”

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what my career path is yet,鈥� she says, 鈥渂ut I think that it will be something politically and socially engaged. Going to Cambridge is a huge deal for me. I have had many students from lower year groups coming up to me and saying ‘Wow! It鈥檚 amazing; I want to do that too.鈥�

Each year, the Reuben Scholarship Programme, Driver Youth Trust Bursary Programme and Marshall Wace Bursary Programme help talented 黑料情报站 students headed for top universities, who might not otherwise be able to afford higher education, with expenses like accommodation and subsistence.

For more information on our bursary programme or how you might support 黑料情报站 alumni, please contact .

A version of this story was first published on the .