Sadiya came to the UK from Somalia, on her own, when she was 13. She didn't speak any English and had very little formal education. IntoUniversity helped Sadiya with her English and homework and she is now at university studying for a business degree.
What was it like for you when you first arrived in the
UK from Somalia?
My sister who was 16 was already living here with foster
parents. I came over by myself when I was 13 and didn't
understand anything. I couldn't communicate with anyone; I
cried a lot and just wanted to stay at home all the time. At
school everyone was doing their SATS but I couldn't because I
couldn't even understand English. Everyone just kept telling
me to leave things out I didn't understand.
How did you hear about IntoUniversity?
A lady called Emma from Kensington and Chelsea Council, who was
working with my school, brought me to
IntoUniversity. I went there four days a week
after school and they helped me with my English and with my
homework.
How has IntoUniversity helped you?
They gave me encouragement and confidence - they understood the
problems and what I really needed. They helped me learn English and
do homework . In Year 10, I handed in my GCSE coursework before
everyone else!
I would never have dreamt of getting eight GCSEs and it is all
because of IntoUniversity. Even in the holidays,
they help you revise for exams and explain mistakes and any
corrections needed. They also helped in applications for university
and took me to workshops to prepare me for what university life and
study was going to be like.
Do you think your involvement with IntoUniversity and
you getting into university has also helped your
family?
My other brothers and sisters came over almost five years ago now
and the first thing I did was bring them all to
IntoUniversity! IntoUniversity
helped get them into schools and now they are all following in my
footsteps. My brother is applying to university to study
Medicine!
What achievement are you proudest of?
Probably learning. Learning properly and then achieving
grades like everyone else. In Somalia, there was no school,
the only time I ever 'learnt' was once a week when my uncle was
teaching me Arabic.
What would you say to someone who was thinking about
attending an IntoUniversity centre?
I would advise anyone to come to
IntoUniversity. It gives you a focus and
prevents you from going down the wrong paths. You never feel
uncomfortable and they offer you a real chance to better your
life. They encourage you to study and get higher grades and
get into college. They help with everything even how to fill
out online forms - for someone who hasn't done that before, it's
not easy.
What do you see yourself doing in five years time?
A proper job! I hope to get a 2.1 or a 1st from university
and then maybe a job in marketing research or something related to
my business degree.
What would you do if you were Prime Minister for a
day?
I would inform more kids in school about
IntoUniversity and then spend money to make sure
that each borough has a branch of
IntoUniversity.
Many thanks to Impetus pro bono expert Sima Varsani for writing
this story.
I decided to support Impetus because I want to get the most for my money. The charities they select will have a high potential to make a difference and with support from Impetus they increase their chances of being real winners.
Ian Armitage
HgCapital, Impetus donor