Being able to come back home and use the skills I learned at Cambridge was a real joy for me.

I’m the Mayoral Assistant in Middlesbrough, where I grew up, working in a council in one of the most deprived areas of the UK. Before that, I studied Human, Social and Political Sciences (HSPS) at Queens’ College. Cambridge gave me a much better understanding of political theory, and different perspectives and ideas, but it also gave me the tools that I now apply in the real world to help my community.

As well as academic skills, Cambridge boosted my communications skills and gave me the confidence to argue my point with anyone.

During supervisions at Cambridge – which take place multiple times a week – you sit down with an academic to discuss a particular topic. It’s a very encouraging environment, but you need to develop your own ideas, and to be able to hold your own in a discussion. Many of these academics are world-leading in their field, so it’s a great experience, and it means that in my career now I’m very comfortable talking to anyone, regardless of their position.

One of the things I love about being Mayoral Assistant is the variety of work, and the number of different people you interact with.

One day I’ll be working with the Chief Executive and the council’s senior leadership team, and the next I’ll be out working directly with people in the community. I also like the level of trust and responsibility I’m given, whether that’s writing to ministers, developing communications content, drafting social media posts, or responding to residents. It gives me a lot of pride in my work, particularly when we’re tackling some really serious issues.

Before I went to university, I did some work experience in my local MP’s constituency office.

I had a really interesting time, meeting and listening to the different diplomats who came by, and it was a great way to establish a link in that world. I was also a Member of Youth Parliament when I was younger, but I did other stuff too – I was a football referee, which was a good way to push me out of my comfort zone!

My dad’s boss had a son who went to Oxford, and it was my dad who said to me: ‘You could do that’.

Just having that little association with Oxbridge meant that the idea ticked over in my mind, and the more I looked into it, the more I thought this could be a real challenge. I went to a state comprehensive – and at times that was tough – but there was a teacher in the sixth form who had also been to Oxbridge, who helped out with Oxbridge applications. That made a real difference because he had experience of the process.

I was looking for a degree that covered politics, but also other areas I was interested in, like economics and sociology.

I found HSPS and it just seemed to click. The variety of subjects within the degree was a really big draw. I sometimes describe HSPS like a ‘choose your own adventure’ degree, which is really exactly how it panned out to be. I fell in love with sociology over the course of my degree, and philosophy in my first year was fascinating – and I still pull bits out of that today – but at the same time I was able to keep the focus on politics and international relations.

Growing up in a town that has faced so much adversity, and which seemed like a million miles away from Cambridge, made me worry that Cambridge might not be for me.

And geographically it was quite a distance to move. I was worried about stepping into an environment where I didn’t belong, so it did feel like a big risk. I wasn’t worried about whether I’d fit in academically – that was the bit that drew me – it was more the cultural difference. I didn’t know whether there would be a place for me, whether I would find my people.

Having the Cambridge Bursary was reassuring when it came to living expenses.

I was concerned about what my family could provide in terms of financial support, so the Cambridge Bursary was a huge help over the course of my degree. And knowing that the individual colleges have different bursary programmes too was a huge draw as well.

Arriving in Cambridge blew me away – it almost felt like I was in Great Expectations or something!

It made all that effort to get to that point so worth it, because you’re suddenly surrounded by this beautiful architecture and these people who are so passionate about their different areas. Figuring out all the social dynamics takes a bit of time – but it’s great fun exploring the different societies and meeting people you have things in common with, and also those from very different backgrounds to you. Summer in Cambridge is particularly stunning. I spent many hours looking over the river from Queens’, it’s one of those things that makes you think ‘God, I’m going to miss this’, so I made sure I took it all in whenever I could.

You come across some really interesting people at Cambridge, and you can find some great opportunities outside of your academic life.

I ended up doing research for a YouTube content creator after meeting him at a Cambridge Union event. This was a guy with millions of subscribers, who I’d been watching for years. We went to the pub and had a chat afterwards, and I ended up working with him on various things for about two years!

I got involved in student politics in my spare time at Cambridge, and I also tried my hand at stand-up comedy.

It was with the Footlights. I’d never done something like that before, but I thought ‘I reckon I could be funny’, and the next thing you know I’m up there in front of 50 people and people are laughing. It was a unique experience and it went really well!

I’d say to anyone thinking of applying that Cambridge is as much yours as anyone else’s, and you should back yourself and do it.

Focus on enjoying the process of applying, and keep it in your head that Cambridge is a university, not a club – it’s not there to exclude you. Make sure you know about your subject when you get to the interview, so you can talk around it. Interact with online content around your subject, and get used to discussing it with other people around you.

When you get to Cambridge, ask as many questions as you can, and don’t be afraid to reach out for help if you need it.

Reach out to the people at your college – students and staff. It’s hard for everyone at some point, but know that this journey is yours and don’t compare yourself to other people.