Post by Rory Rayhaan G

It is with immense pride that I can announce that I have graduated from the University of Oxford with a First Class degree in Jurisprudence (Law), being awarded the Martin Wronker Prize for Overall Best Performance - achieving a first in each and every single one of my papers, ranking #1 out all 252 in my graduating year - the first student of black heritage to ever do so. I won't lie - Oxford wasn't easy. Being diagnosed with c-PTSD, my academic pursuits felt, at times, engulfed by the personal battles of my home-life and mental health. Formal education never prepared me for the challenge of being 'you' in an environment which was - fundamentally - never made for someone like you. I can't tell you the countless times people have looked at me with my tracksuit and durag and said: 'and 'you' go to Oxford'? When the harsh reality of life hit me in the face, all those As and A*s felt meaningless. What I really needed was the ability to look deeply into myself, learn to love my difference and transform my so-called 'disadvantage' into a source of strength - what education didn't give me was the confidence to embrace my personal identity as the centre of my success. But verily with hardship comes ease. Alhamdulilah, I have been blessed with a community of friends, family, brothers and sisters who continued to believe in me - even when I didn't. Even when I decided to run The Learners Collective alongside my degree, they continued to tell me I could do it - and so I did. My experience at Oxford shaped my mission for The Learners Collective and makes it work even more important. Take it from me - education is not simply about getting the best grades. It is about equipping us with the skills, knowledge and means to understand who we are, the value of our individuality and the power it can bring to our impact on the world - no matter the environment. In other words, it about delivering learning that empowers. By connecting young people with Scholars who look like them, speak like them, and live like them, they too can find the confidence to succeed like them - with their individuality at the centre of their success. It is a service, I know, younger me would be proud of. Thank you to Ajay Graham Aziza Ajak Ben Coady Elena Caioni Ahmed Jeyte Owais Y. Siân E. David Goodwin Ruth Obude Rahul Patel Hung Nguyen Laila March Henna Khanom Hammad M. Zayne Khan Davina Aoulik Anisha Begum (and anyone else I missed).