Page 75 - Future Leaders 2018-2019

2 Last Year’s Top 10

MIKAI MCDERMOTT, 22

Qualifications
BA in English Literature,
University of Warwick
Since I was awarded number two in Future
Leaders last year, I have gone on to grow
in all of my endeavours. I have had the
pleasure of working with the BBC on a piece
surrounding mental health at a university,
and we continue discussions about working
on new projects. I have also worked with big
brands in the beauty industry – like Tangle
Teezer and Schwarzkopf – to champion and
increase the representation of black women
in these exclusive spaces.
Cariconnect is continuing to work as an
educational mentoring scheme and I hope
to be able to dedicate more time to the
programme now I am an official University
of Warwick graduate.
Featuring in the Future Leaders magazine
showed me that my actions were not going
unnoticed. It demonstrated that the social
issues I work at are indeed important to other
people, and opened my eyes to a whole new
community of people like myself who have
done – and are doing – extraordinary things.
To the next cohort of university students,
I say: enter this space with your best foot
forward, embrace the change and always be
self-aware of your surroundings. Remember
to make your mental health a priority and
always stay true to yourself!

10 ANNIVERSARY EDITION FUTURE LEADERS 73
TH