I attribute a great deal of my success to various AS programmes.

AS Ability was great in terms of helping me navigate the legal profession and application forms with a long-term health condition. It gave me the confidence, and not the shame, to fill out the ‘extenuating circumstances’ box which applicants will be very familiar with when inputting their A-level and university grades.

The Diversity Summer Scheme with the Government Legal Department provided very useful and interesting insights into public law and how various regulators and government departments worked, including the CMA, HMRC, and HM Treasury. Also, it’s not every day you get a Q&A session with the Attorney General!

Twice I attended Race for Change hosted at BCLP where I benefited from inspiring talks by black lawyers in commercial law. One in particular was by the Group General Counsel of Standard Bank Dr Sandie Okoro on embracing her identity, overcoming challenges, and navigating the legal profession as a Black British woman, providing many wisdoms throughout her speech. “Be the best version of yourself rather than a cut-rate version of someone else” is a quote I hold especially close to my heart.

As a semi-finalist of the 2023 Commercial Awareness Competition, I was able to test and demonstrate my commercial acumen through a fun yet competitive platform that saw me improve many skills, including public speaking and team work. Making the final 100 participants gave me immense confidence when applying for training contracts.