Page 56 - Future Leaders Magazine

OUR VISION IS TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE: JOIN US AT

King’s Colle ge London

Sharon is a haron is a
S
rst-year
rst-year
History student
History student
and Sanctuary
Sharon Onokaye-Akaka Scholarship recipient
Scholarship recipient
who as a result of her
who as a result of her
experiences in the UK as a rst-generation migrant
tries to help as many young people as possible on the
path to achieve their ambitions with as little boundaries
as possible.
If I wasn’t talking to you right now I’d be… Scrolling through
a Twitter feed, or reading Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple
Hibiscus.
The best thing about studying here at King’s is…
I call it the ‘King’s Vibe’. It’s a very encouraging and inspiring
environment. Whether it be from your peers or members of
sta , there’s always someone there to instill in you ways you
can better yourself.
The people I study with at King’s are… Ambitious and
generous. There are a lot of people doing amazing things,
and they’re still willing to help, share their networks, or
tell you there’s an internship you should apply for. We’re all
encouraging others to success.
On my course, I’m always learning that… My own viewpoints
are valid.
The biggest myth about being black and going to a top
university is… That there aren’t any black people, and that the
ACS is rubbish at a good university.
The truth is… We do exist! And our ACS actually bangs!
My proudest achievement is… Writing an article in The
Guardian in response to a policy Theresa May proposed when
she was Home Secretary.
The most di cult thing I’ve ever done is… Accept failure. King’s College London is committed to
A lot of the time we see failure as a knockback. But by nding the brightest minds irrespective
accepting failure, I can think, how am I going to turn it into a
success? I had to learn that the hard way, but it’s made me a of background, and supporting them in
better person. accessing higher education. Our Widening
If I could go back ve years and meet my former self, I’d tell
them… Keep going and work harder! There are going to be Participation (or WP) Department exists
some setbacks but the struggles will be character-building. to support bright students from groups
If I could meet my future self, I’d expect them to be… A
graduate with a First Class and working at a Magic Circle law who are typically under-represented in
rm. I’d love to continue to be involved in WP, because it’s part top universities to make the leap! We’re
of my testimony of why I’m here today, and I’d love to be able
to be part of someone else’s. proud to say we’re one of the most diverse
universities in the Russell Group, with

54 FUTURE LEADERS | 2017-18