Girton student Akilah runs her own shadowing scheme

Akilah Jeffers (pictured centre), Girton’s ethnic minorities officer, wrote to around 50 schools to publicise the scheme and received 60 applications for six places. “We allocated the places on the basis of academic potential and subject passion and looked for applications that stood out,” she said.

During their two-day visit in Cambridge the sixth-formers shadowed Girton undergraduates, attending lectures, supervisions and social events. “Most of all I wanted our visitors to realise that they would fit in and that Cambridge has a good support network for ethnic minority students, both through the colleges and through the many student societies” said Akilah.

“During their visit the group had a talk from a member of the Black Students Campaign and an introduction to the Cambridge application process given by Safian Younas, a second year medical student at Gonville and Caius.”

Four of the students came from Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth College in Leicester. Imtiaz Rouf (pictured top right), who plans to study architecture at university, said: "I had the stereotypical feelings about Cambridge - that it was a university mainly for the white British. From what I saw it's full of different ethnicities from across the globe.

"What really impressed me was attending Friday prayers. I'm used to seeing only Middle Eastern and Asian faces in the prayer hall - but at Cambridge I saw white British and Chinese faces as well. Some were there to pray and others just to listen - that was something quite new for me."

Tatenda Chimhanda, who is doing A-levels at Runshaw College near Preston in Lancashire, said: “Cambridge is so completely different to what I imagined. I thought it would be uptight and formal but there’s a relaxed, happy atmosphere – and lots of bikes! Coming here has made me even more determined to apply.”

Sixteen-year-old Tatenda, who wants to study natural sciences at university, shadowed second-year engineering student Emmanuel Mamgboye, attending lectures with him and getting a glimpse of the workload expected of Cambridge students.

To coincide with the shadowing scheme, Akilah and a group of other Girton students organised a show called Girton’s Got Talent. “I wanted the sixth-formers to see that Cambridge is about much more than working hard – it’s about personal development as well,” she said.

Akilah, who is studying English and comes from Wolverhampton, said that she was thrilled by the students’ response to the scheme: “It’s been great to see their enthusiasm. I’ve always been passionate about doing my best and reaching my potential through taking on challenges.”

In her gap year she took part in the Prime Minister’s Global Fellowship, working for Cambridge University Press in Brazil and teaching English and dance in Bolivia. She hopes to go into teaching and later train as a barrister.