Page 16 - Future Leaders Magazine

PROFILES

GERALD KARLA CAESAR, 20
ARYEEQUAYE, 20 School Aston University
Course Accounting for Management
School University of Birmingham (BSc)
Subject Economics (BSc) Year Second
Year Second Grade average First class
Grade average First class
Karla is the co-founder of the ACS in the City
In 2015, Gerald won a £30,000 scholarship Society, a branch of the ACS that focuses on
and internship at the Bank of England, beating helping ethnic minorities secure internships,
thousands of applicants vying for just three placements and graduate roles in City jobs
positions. Due to the competitive nature KAYENAAT (e.g. Finance, Law, Banking etc).
of the initiative, Gerald mentors sixth form As a co-founder of the society she has
students also applying for the scholarship. BHATNAGAR, 22 conducted research with previous ACS alumni
He is the President of Birmingham’s African to ensure the success of the society, contacted
Caribbean Society and set up a mentoring School London School of Economics sponsors to run workshops and speak at
scheme whereby society members mentor Subject Economics and Economic events and interviewed students to fill the
African and Caribbean children in the local History (BSc) different committee roles required.
community. ‘I came up with the idea as I was Year Second She has been a vounteer for UK charity
reading numerous reports about African and Grade average 2:1 FoodCycle since November 2016. The charity
Caribbean children having lower attainment in provides meals for the homeless and less
school,’ he explains. Botswana-born Kayenaat is the Managing fortunate and this role involves her preparing
In his role as President he is also required Director of a young enterprise company, a three-course Sunday dinner for vulnerable
to manage, motivate and mobilise members of where she researches products and markets people in the community, improvising with
the popular society. When the Vice President them to her growing customer base. In this whatever food is provided by supermarkets
left before the first term had started, Gerald role, she manages a team of employees and and delegating tasks among her team.
was forced to find a replacement and ensure balances work and company demands. She also has to ensure that they are
they integrated well into the team. She is also the General Secretary of the adhering to a strict schedule so food can be
London School of Economics’ Sikh Society. served on time.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? “As part of the committee, we organise
I would like to be a freelance consultant and multiple events a term, which demands time Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
take my skills to Ghana, to help small management and organisational skills,” she I would like to be an audit partner at a
businesses develop. says. Kayenaat also helped manage one of the top four firm.
society’s biggest networking events, which
saw them collaborate with University
College London to organise a dinner at a
top London hotel.
The straight-A student, who has already
secured an internship at JP Morgan, was
also chosen to be a Tour Guide during LSE’s
‘Welcome Week’. She led tours around both
the university’s campus and the city with
groups as large as 30.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I want to go back to Botswana and implement
what I have learned in local companies.

CHIDALU EKEH, 23 charity Genteel Plea with her sister.
The charity provides scholarships to
School Imperial College underprivileged children in the Mbaitoliare of
Course Strategic Marketing (MSc) Imo State in Nigeria.
Year N/A She has also worked at leading Nigerian-
Grade average 2:1 (Equivalent) based e-commerce site Yudala as a
First degree Business Studies (BSc) at Social Media Manager and completed an
Lancaster University; grade 2:1 internship at Technology Distributions
LTD, an ICT distributor in West Africa where
Before graduating last year, Chidalu was the she headed the marketing campaign for
President of Lancaster University’s African also the Social Secretary a year before taking the company’s ‘E-Festival’ that launched
and Caribbean Society, where he co-created the top job at the society, where her included TD Mobile – the mobile devices arm of
the ‘Buddy Scheme’, a mentoring programme creating events that attracted students the business.
where society members can gain extra outside the diaspora.
assistance with their course. Testament to his hard work, the society was Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
“I also mentored several first and second nominated for ‘Most Improved Society’ by the I would want to have an MBA, preferably from
year students by providing advice and support university’s student union. Harvard, running my own company and be
as part of the scheme,” she says. Chidalu was Outside of his studies, Chidalu founded helping my alumni from Lancaster as well.

14 FUTURE LEADERS | 2017-18