Sabrina Daniel
LSE undergraduate student Sabrina Daniel has received two Awards at the fourth annual Student Social Mobility Awards, organised by the charity upReach.
The Awards ceremony, which celebrates incredible achievements by undergraduate students against all odds, was held at the House of Lords this month and hosted by Baroness Helena Kennedy QC.
Sabrina, who is going into her penultimate year at LSE, was awarded the Law category prize and was named as one of the upReach Ten, awarded to the ten most impressive students overall.
As a first-generation student to university and a care-leaver, Sabrina has overcome many barriers to get where she is today.
This year, over 250 students from 35 different universities were nominated for the Awards. All nominated students have managed to find success despite facing socio-economic challenges, such as limited professional networks, juggling multiple responsibilities alongside studying, reduced access to careers support and living in areas with low job prospects.
Commenting on her success at the Awards ceremony, Sabrina said: “It all feels quite surreal. A month ago, let alone a year ago, I could not have imagined being in the position that I am in, but it also feels rewarding and has solidified that I am on the right track, promoting social mobility and helping young people from similar backgrounds access opportunities.
“I hope social mobility becomes more discussed and that other young people see more role models from similar backgrounds to them, especially children in foster care and care leavers.”
Outlining her personal experiences, she adds: “The main barrier I faced when entering higher education was financial. Having no parents to rely on or a stable home almost deterred me from going to LSE and instead, staying in Manchester to do an apprenticeship as I had received an offer from a law firm. However, two days before the deadline to book accommodation I changed my mind and decided to pursue my dream of moving to London and studying law, despite the large financial insecurity I face.
“My advice would be to look at university scholarships as well as company scholarships. I changed my mind too late and missed out on the scholarship deadlines but found ones from other organisations like the Quinlan scholarship and picked up part-time jobs throughout my first year of university. Ultimately, you need perseverance, determination, and resilience because it will be difficult but hard work really does pay off.”
Sabrina was recently one of 25 students at LSE awarded the Laidlaw Scholarship which provides a six week internship and leadership training and a six week research project.