Page 11 - Future Leaders 2018-2019

HANNAH ESTHER AGBOLADE, 19 Arts
ABBAN, 21
School: University of Oxford
Course: Philosophy, Politics
School: University of York and Economics (BA)
Course: Philosophy and Year: First
Politics (BA) Grade average: First class
Year: Graduated
Grade: 2:1
Despite only being in her first year, Esther has already been
Hannah is senior editor of the student-led Vox academic elected president of Oxford ACS for this coming academic
journal and supervises a committee of up to 19 people. year and is now determined to ensure that students of BAME
She and her fellow senior editors have also developed a backgrounds are represented in their full diversity.
blog at pep-voxjournal.co.uk to make the publication more “Often, we are all painted with one brush. I’m hoping through
visible. Having gained funding from the university politics events to explore, celebrate and promote our diversity.”
department, it launched this year. This October, she is planning a series of high-profile events
Hannah is conference manager for the York International for Black History Month, including speakers, debates and a
Development Society, having been hurriedly promoted when showcase of dance from African and Caribbean countries.
the previous incumbent failed to book any speakers two It is not her first taste of leadership – she was elected head
months before the conference was due to take place. girl of her secondary, Kingsdale Foundation School, where she
“I didn’t have much event management experience and had was tasked with acting as a bridge between staff and pupils
less than a month to secure speakers,” she recalls. Lobbying and building good relations with the local community.
universities across the UK, she managed to sign up nine Trying to address a reluctance from some members of her
speakers and see more than 100 tickets sold – compared to year group to communicate with teachers, Esther created
the previous year’s turnout of around 20 people. an open forum for students to build up trust in her as a
In 2016, she also worked as a counsellor at a camp for spokesperson. One of her successes was negotiating to
underprivileged children in Wisconsin, USA, where she spent re-open the library to Year 11 students after it had been
more than two months supporting kids aged 6 to 9. closed following bad behaviour. Esther convinced staff that
she would take full responsibility if they restored access.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In a senior management position at a publisher, ideally Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
working in fiction and children’s or young adults’ books. Working with the World Bank and in a position where I can
Also hopefully creating a black publishing network. engage with a large and diverse number of people.

RUTH AMO-AGYEI, 22 SERENA ARTHUR, 20

School: Coventry University School: University of Oxford
Course: Psychology (BSc) Course: English Language &
Year: Graduated Literature (BA)
Grade: 2:1 Year: Second
Grade average: 2:1
Since last summer, Ruth and two
friends have run their own podcast, Serena is deputy editor of Onyx
Rice at Home, around business, finance, entrepreneurship magazine, a new online and press publication of art, poetry
and current affairs. Through word of mouth it has grown to and features written by 16- to 25-year-olds of African-
around 14.3k listens, or 800 per week. Caribbean descent. She and editor Theophina Gabriel hope
The idea is to “empower young black people to generate to launch it this autumn. They have applied for Arts Council
a life that they want to live.” The name is inspired by her funding and aim to show there is a black voice at Oxford, and
mother: “When I was growing up, maybe I’d see a McDonald’s to challenge stereotypes of black youth.
or a KFC and my Mum would always be like, ‘there’s rice at A keen poet – she was Birmingham Young Poet Laureate
home.’ It’s about financial education and financial literacy.” from 2016-2018 – Serena goes into schools to offer poetry
When first thinking about her plans, Ruth realised: “I didn’t workshops and performances. “I want to show that, even
see a lot of content for people my age nor by people my age. from a young age, there are still big creative opportunities
So I’m just sharing what I’m learning because people don’t and ways to do what you love,” she says.
necessarily know where to find it.” As laureate, she performed in assemblies and at large-
Ruth is also president of JAM Society (Jesus and Ministries) scale events including the Holocaust Memorial Day
at Coventry. She says: “We try to make a safe space for any commemoration at Birmingham Town Hall. Last year, she
religion. We encourage all faiths, and atheists.” made a video with social action charity Fixers to encourage
Last June, she founded a company called Adaptable Digital more young people to “be inspired by and write, read and
Services, which aims to change how small businesses market listen to poetry” in a bid to improve child literacy rates.
themselves to millennials and Generation Z. She is currently Access Ambassador for her college,
Mansfield, working to help prospective students from a
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? state school background.
I want to grow Rice at Home and be financially free,
travelling and doing what I can from a laptop. I want to be Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
working in marketing but also helping young people gain the Hopefully within a publisher, potentially on the editorial side,
experiences they want. adding my own good ideas to the company.

10 ANNIVERSARY EDITION FUTURE LEADERS 9
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