Youth Steering Group

Hello, my name is Aisha and I am 18 years old, completing A levels in STEM subjects and located just North of Manchester. I believe every person is unique with differing strengths and weaknesses and the education system should be dynamic: allowing all socioeconomic, neurodivergent and SEN students to fulfil their highest potential. Deriving from a low socioeconomic area myself, I have witnessed first-hand the hurdles in pursuing to higher education and limited career opportunities.

I’m Angel, a 17-year-old from the East Midlands, currently studying Sociology, English Literature, and Philosophy and Ethics. As the titleholder of Miss Teen Nigeria UK, I’m passionate about using my voice to create change. I’m dedicated to challenging racial discrimination, prejudice, and systemic barriers within education systems, both in the UK and the US. I aim to empower young people to break through limits and reach their full potential. I am excited to be the first in my family to attend university in the US through scholarship, and through my work, I hope to represent my community and inspire others to see the power of their voices and potential for change.

I’m Becky, I’m 24 and I’m from Leeds. After studying Linguistics at the Uni of Manchester, I’m now back in my hometown working for an FEA-member charity helping to narrow the educational attainment gap. I am neurodivergent, and I strongly believe that education is a powerful tool to change lives; yet in our current system, many learners are not supported to succeed. I want to actively participate in reshaping our education system to ensure no pupil’s success is limited by their socioeconomic background and that accessibility and inclusion are at the centre of all decision-making.

Hi I'm Elijah, I am 19 and from the West Midlands. I am currently studying a Foundation Year in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and next year hope to study Education. I am interested in Educational research and policy, especially surrounding socio-economic and racial disparities. My experience of exclusion and alternative provision fuelled my interest in improving the education system for all pupils. This is my second year on the YSG.

Hi, my name's Elliott, I'm 17 and neurodivergent and queer. I am from West Yorkshire and I am currently in year 12 studying geography, sociology and government and politics. I am passionate about creating a fair world for everyone, and in my spare time I like cooking, working out, and I am a very active member of my explorer scouts unit.  

Hi, my name’s Farzana and I am 21 years old. I am in my final year at university studying BA Education. I’m incredibly passionate about educational equity and improving social mobility. I am an advocate for better access to SEND assessments and SEND support in schools. I look forward to playing an active role in reducing inequality in education by being part of the FEA Youth Steering Group.

Hey I’m Hayden , I’m 20 and from Nottingham. I’m currently taking a gap year and hope to return to studying adult nursing at university and then become a paramedic. My education timeline hasn’t been the easiest and I know this is the same story for other young people. I strongly believe the education system has a lot of areas that need change and believe that school should create an environment for a young person to feel safe , welcomed and wanted no matter what challenges they bring. I’m very exited to have the opportunity to work with the FEA to bring these changes.

Hey, my name is Israa :) I’m 19, from North London and a Digital Marketing Apprentice in local government. My educational journey has been a total rollercoaster and I hope I will be able to use my experiences to campaign for improvement so that other students have a better quality of education. Coming from a mixed race and ethnic household (my father is Somali and my mother is Yemeni) I absolutely love getting to know others from different backgrounds and cultures. I believe strengths lies in differences, not in similarities and diversity, in all its forms, is a path to greatness.

Hi, I’m Jayden, I am 19 years old from Liverpool currently studying BA Archaeology and Anthropology in London. I received free school meals, and faced discrimination from peers and teachers for my ethnicity and social class in an underfunded school. My experience has been a key reason behind why I want to improve the education system alongside surrounding systems to improve policy and support for disadvantaged students. I believe museums have potential to make education more accessible by offering interactive and inclusive alternatives to traditional classroom education. They offer free or low-cost hands-on-learning via exhibitions and workshops which can reach people from disadvantaged backgrounds. These experiences can aid breaking down barriers to education by providing skills and knowledge.

Hi, I’m Jonathan- I am 15 years old and from Cheshire, and I’m currently studying for my GCSE’s. I was previously a member of the UK Parliament’s Youth Select Committee, the first youth-led inquiry into the cost-of-living crisis for the Government. I have also campaigned for education around discrimination, in particular antisemitism, because of my personal experiences. I wanted to join the FEA’s Youth Steering Group because education is key to helping young people in the cost-of-living crisis and to reducing discrimination.

Hi, I’m Keira! I’m 15 and currently in year 11. I’m from SW London and aspire to go into Law and politics. In the future I hope to also work closely with education as I’m very passionate about closing the disparity between low income households and the education system; specifically surrounding exclusions in schools.

Hi, my name’s Lauren, I’m 22 and currently live in County Durham. I’m a recent graduate from Durham University, currently taking a year before doing my Master’s degree, where I hope to commit to researching Imposter Syndrome. I’m passionate about Education Equality and Mental Health, with notable interest in supporting pupils to feel empowered towards achieving their goals, and meet their own definition of success, regardless of socioeconomic background. 

Hello! I'm Leanna, a 15-year-old living in Oxford, originally from Hong Kong. I aspire to become a psychiatrist, providing mental health support to different parts of the world, particularly in underprivileged areas. I am passionate about using both my personal experiences of social disparity and my scientific background to promote the importance of awareness and accessibility of mental health in schools as well as the wider community. I hope to make a meaningful impact through this role! 

Hey my name is Mama and I’m 18. Currently, I am studying International Relations and Arabic at university. In the future, I hope to be able to  enlighten people about injustices in education, mental health and human rights around the world. I would love to start an NGO, where we would tackle issues that governments worldwide ignore and give a voice back to those who are ignored and disenfranchised.

Hello, I am Naomi, a Marketing Management student at the University of Brighton. I proudly serve as the Welfare Officer and Secretary for Brighton’s African Caribbean Society. Committed to championing education equity, my focus is on creating a fair educational landscape for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. 

Heyy! My name is Pelumi and I’m from Manchester. I’m 24 years old and a graduate from The Manchester Metropolitan University. I am very passionate about making education more equitable and equal for all. And making sure young people are at the heart of the decisions made about us. I love being creative and I write songs and Poetry.

I'm Ryan, I'm 20 and from Staffordshire, and currently studying Maths at the University of York. Throughout school I benefited from programmes to help disadvantaged young people, and currently benefit from an opportunity scholarship. Being a young- carer from a low-income background created barriers for me throughout school which I hope to break down for other people. I am currently exploring pursuing a career in finance, and tutor mathematics in my spare time.

Hey! I am S - I am 18 from Stratford upon Avon. I am currently studying psychology, drama and photography. I am hoping to make my way into the film industry especially focusing on using film as a medium for my activism. Highlighting topics that are important to me such as Inequality in Education. I am particularly passionate and SEN education and ensuring all children feel school is safe and accessible to them. I believe no child should dread going to school and hope school can one day be an inclusive place for all.

Hi I'm Sneha, I am 17, from the West Midlands and currently studying A-Levels. I am passionate about education, especially ethnic disparities as I am Pakistani and have experienced discrimination and barriers because of my heritage. In the future I hope to pursue Sociology and Anthropology to further my understanding of people and society. 

Hi, my name is Thomas and I am 15 years old. I am currently taking my GCSE’s yet I wish to study politics, philosophy and psychology at 6th form. I am very passionate about breaking barriers within education and the disparities within education and from this I hope and I aim to advocate and campaign for equality in education. From this passion I decided to explore the education system and factors in our intelligence as part of my HPQ qualification. I can't wait to get started with my role on the FEA YSG!