Jeffrey A

Sharing my story has given me, for the first time, a chance to properly reflect on my own experience and the experience of others who come from similar backgrounds. I hope all who read it – whether senior executives or students – come to understand the importance of working together to increase access to all, regardless of their background or social-economic status.

Jeffrey A

Chloe Ambrose

The world has already changed so much since my teenage years. For that, I am incredibly grateful that the next generation may feel more accepted for what they look like, where they are form, what they want to wear and what they want to do in life. I hope my story provides insight for the next generation who have no choice but to heal from what has already happened and rebuild with the knowledge that positive change is happening.

Chloe Ambrose

Roberta Johnstone

Writing and reflecting on my story gave me more strength and gratitude for the life I live today as, even though I may have down days where life is intense, or I go through some personal drama, it is nothing compared to the pain and suffering I endured through never understanding my own worth.  If I can help someone realise, that no matter how hardcore your inner battle is, that there is a choice to how you feel, then I have done my duty.

Roberta Johnstone

Cody Croxall

Sharing my story, has allowed me to reflect on my journey and see that there were ups and downs that I have been able to overcome and that have helped me grow.  I hope that this helps others to feel inspired when they feel like they cannot do something and have that self-belief and confidence in their abilities.

Cody Croxall

Mohammed Essakini

Sharing my story has made me stronger within myself, sharing personal experiences with a public that you do not know is an honourable gesture and makes me part of this global community. I hope those reading, understand that it is within us as individuals to decide the fate of our future in any given situation we find ourselves in, and how we can develop and move forward. 

Mohammed Essakini

Jacob Grimwade

I feel sharing my story has been a great actualisation as to what I have achieved in such a small amount of time and that I can accomplish whatever it is I set my mind to. I hope it has helped others realise that their dreams and goals are not unattainable and that your mindset in given situations is the most important thing to master. 

Jacob Grimwade

Katy Mullett

I hope that in the future I will become a successful businesswoman who has the strength and confidence to not let anything hold me back. By sharing my story, it has helped me to be at peace with my past. I want to help others realise that it is okay to have faced barriers in the past, what matters is accepting them and always believing in yourself. You can do this!

Katy Mullett

Mamadou Sow

For anyone who is facing similar challenges to me, and wondering if you can do it, my advice is: you have got all you need, just believe in your abilities. I am not close to where I want to be, but I am positive that I will get there.

Mamadou Sow

Obed Adomako

I want to simply impact the lives of others to fulfil their purpose in life.  Overall, sharing my story reminded me to not be complacent in the position that I am in now but to strive for more.   I am forever grateful for the opportunity to share my experience but also to unlock some doors that had been locked and forgotten about, but worth exposing.  Not only did I share this chapter out of my own interest but to also impact you as the reader. 

Obed Adomako

Mohammed Abbas Aslam

My hope for the future is for there to be equal opportunities for all, and that no one is judged on their heritage and race. Sharing my story has enabled me to reflect on my journey of how I have gotten to where I am today and has served as motivation on why I am pursuing my goals. I personally want to help others through my story and tell you that it is never too late to reach your goals and to be proud of what you have achieved so far and to create positives from negatives.

Mohammed Abbas Aslam

Bethany Fraser

Sharing my story has made me realise how much I have changed since moving back to the UK, and how the challenges I have faced along the way have helped shape me as an individual. I hope that by sharing my struggles, I can help others realise that they are not alone during their journey to securing their dream career. And that they should never let a setback hold them back, but instead use it as a learning experience.

Bethany Fraser

Lauren Dennis

I am grateful for being part of something so special - I feel so honoured to be able to share my story.  I want people to know that it is okay not to be okay and it is okay to admit it. The first step is to admit it to yourself first, and once you do, it gets easier to share with others. Everyone goes through struggles, so you are not alone, you do not have to be a product of your environment.

Lauren Dennis

Phillip Gwynn

Sharing my story helped me to not only reflect on how I have gotten to where I am today but to also recognise that facing these challenges are not out of the ordinary. I really hope that my story of finding myself regarding my sexuality helps others who may be currently facing a similar situation because we all deserve to be loved irrespective of gender, sexuality, class, and race.

Phillip Gwynn

Ella Lamptey

I found sharing my story was very difficult. It was never something I had planned on doing, and it was hard to open-up.  I hope that my story will give some comfort to anyone else who is going through the same journey. I want others to understand that they are not alone and know that everyone struggles. I hope that my journey helps someone to start theirs and, if even one person learns something from me, then I believe that taking part in this opportunity was worth it. 

Ella Lamptey

Lydia Oldroyd

I hope my future is full of security and happiness. I wish to work in an environment with colleagues I trust, where there is opportunity to progress career-wise and develop myself. Through writing this piece I was able to reflect on what has been a difficult year and if anyone takes anything away from reading this, I hope you know you are worthy of security and happiness.

Lydia Oldroyd

Reagan Spinks

Sharing my story forced me to relive some troubling childhood memories but also made me realise that these experiences shaped me into the strong person I am today. My experiences have caused me to be sensitive, but I know that I shouldn't beat myself up. Expressing my story on paper has shown me that I still have a lot of work to do and that I'm definitely not alone in this journey. 

I hope that in reading my story, young and older queer folk may feel reassured in knowing that they are not alone in how they feel or what they have experienced. I hope I can also help allies to have a better understanding of what it is like for some LGBT+ individuals.

Reagan Spinks

Becky Willson

I hope that my story resonates with anyone with health conditions, mental illness, or learning disabilities.  I want you to know that you are more than your conditions, illnesses, or disabilities. They may limit what you can do, but they do not define your dreams or who you are. You are strong for living life the way you are. Be yourself and keep heading towards your goals. Now, more than ever, anything is achievable.

Becky Willson

Foridha Ahmed

Sharing my story in this book has made me appreciate how far I have come and how much I’ve learnt, and in the future, I hope to continue to acknowledge the progress I have made professionally and personally. I hope to make people feel comfort/get advice relating to the struggles of mental health as a student and once teenager.  

Foridha Ahmed

Shanique Clarke

I hope that whatever I do in the future, I help others along the journey to understand that you can reach any height you wish with hard work and belief in yourself. Sharing my story in the book was quite emotional and helped me to realise how far I have come and how much further I’ve got to go! It is only the start of my journey.

Shanique Clarke

Amy Roberts

Sharing my story has made me realise just how much I have overcome, and I should believe in myself more. I hope that my future self continues knocking down obstacles.  I hope that by sharing my experiences that other disabled students feel empowered and see that disability does not mean inability.

Amy Roberts

Faustina Edward

I have learnt so much from sharing my story.  I want to continue being a source of inspiration for others and reach as many people as possible.   I have realised that being a positive influence and spreading 'glitter' was not something that I started doing in recent years but much earlier on in my life. 

Faustina Edward

Alexandra Garton

Writing this piece was a great chance to reflect on how far I have come and all I have to be thankful for. Where I am now is just the next step in my journey; nothing is over or decided yet! I hope that my story encourages someone who feels that they cannot get up off the ground, to open-up and ask for help, wherever they can find it.  Something good is out there for everyone.

Alexandra Garton

Maariya Hussain

My hope for the future is to witness real equality.  I do not want people to feel that they are being looked down upon due to their socio-economic status, race, religion, gender, etc. Sharing my story helped me. It enabled me to open about things I hadn’t previously come to terms with.

Writing this chapter made me realise how much I have been through and how strong I am to have overcome these struggles. I am not really a person that opens-up to others about my feelings and writing this was a way for me to do this.  I hope my story influences others to express themselves and let go of anything that is holding them back

Maariya Hussain

Nia Modley

Sharing my story has been an incredibly reflective experience. I find it easy to forget the things I have been through. It is humbling to remember my past. It has made me incredibly grateful for where I am today, and the strength and resilience I have picked up along the way.  I hope my story helps you feel less alone in whatever struggle you are facing right now and know that once you’ve taken the first step to ask for help, you will be surprised and heartened as to how many people there are who want to be there for you.

Nia Modley

Grace Thompson

I hope that by sharing my story, that I can be a great role model to other young people and hope to one day stand in front of others and share my story.  It’s important to come out of your comfort zones and sometimes admit to ourselves that we can’t make it on our own and it’s ok to let others help you.

Grace Thompson