How have your background and upbringing influenced your personal ambitions?

Growing up within a large family as the eldest child, I have always had high expectations for myself. As a first-generation Nigerian, my values have been shaped not only by the world around me, but by the culture that travelled with my parents from Nigeria to the United Kingdom. Aiming high and pursuing my goals has always been a key factor in everything that I am able to do and has allowed me to learn and adapt to unfamiliar situations I may come across. The fusion of my British nationality with my Nigerian heritage has also led to continuous life lessons that has shaped me into becoming an independent young woman, striving for excellence, and compelling the world around me to shift away from the negative stigma attached to Black British people. Standing out in a country that seems to hold on to its 'informal' status quo may seem daunting, yet my experiences throughout life has enabled me to understand that uniqueness is vital for a society to completely represent all its members.

After university, I aspire to become a solicitor and fulfil my ambition to ensure that justice is served for all equitably. The law should underpin the ever-changing structure of our society and its values, yet through Alexandra Wilson’s ‘In Black and White,’ I saw the underrepresentation of ethnic minorities in the profession. Wilson was often mistaken as a defendant rather than a barrister and faced unconscious bias in the workplace. Reading her account highlighted the importance of diversity within the law and compelled me to become part of the necessary change. By doing so I will help give people, who are usually left unheard, a voice and be instrumental in changing the path of their lives. By ensuring the best outcome for my clients, I can play a role in making the world a better place for each community regardless of its members. Black people, especially black males, are overrepresented in the justice system. By practicing law, I can be a part of the movement to completely eradicate the 'sensationalised' prejudice held against people like me and normalise ethnic minorities in the legal profession.

What would winning a Crowd Scholar scholarship mean to you?

Being a Crowd Scholar acts as not only a financial bridge to supplement my studies at the University of Oxford but it also allows me to act as a role model for those in my community. Growing up in an under-privileged and under-represented background, scholars haven’t been in abundance. My current place of residence isn't secure in the sense that it is a temporary accommodation allocated by the homelessness prevention council and yet despite this, I was able to secure a place at a prestigious university. Being a Crowd Scholar gives me the platform to show those who come from similar backgrounds that their aspirations are more than achievable, hence being accepted as a Crowd Scholar would not only mean an immense amount to myself but also those in my community. Within my academics, I am dedicated to take on new and challenging aspirations to develop my personal attributes and work towards a future where I can be an asset for myself and those around me. I believe I will greatly benefit from this scholarship because of such determination to strive for excellence. As a student from a low-income household, I often do not receive the same opportunities that my peers may benefit from. However, through this scholarship I will be able to devote my focus solely on learning the core function of law and complete my higher education to a great standard, without the practical barriers of university expenses and costs. This fantastic opportunity to not only become a scholar through this scheme, but to also benefit from mentoring will allow me to move closer to breaking the barriers set that limit entry into the top professions. The generosity of the scheme resonates with me because of my own personal desires to give back to my community and to be a positive return to the investment that Crowd Scholar would put into my growth, through helping me to achieve my potential. This scholarship and the associated benefits will open the doors for social mobility in my life, granting me the opportunity to meet professionals that I would not usually encounter in my everyday life.

Esther is a very diligent, independent, and inquisitive student, who is always willing to contribute to class discussion. She is a very respectful and sociable person, who gets along well with her teachers and peers. She is a motivated, disciplined and organised young lady, who is very confident and able to express herself in written and spoken English language. Her self-motivation is a result of her drive to be successful in the field of Law. She set herself goals, which she pursues by sticking to well laid out routine; she gets to school early, long before most of the students and would frequently stay behind to complete tasks and revise. Esther keeps her school folders up to date and all her work, schedules and assessment dates are kept in her folder. She knows why she is school and avoids unnecessary distractions.

Despite the difficulties associated with the A-level studies, Esher still finds time to engage in extracurricular activities such as basketball and engages in paid employment. In comparison to other pupils I have come across in my career, I would rate her very highly in terms of willingness to help and in following instruction. She is very punctual, and her attendance is one hundred percent till date. She is way above most of her classmate in terms of discipline and in her determination to achieve. She is highly rated by her peers and enjoys the support of all the pupils in her form group.

At Poly Esther is the Deputy Head Girl, a member of the head team and student leadership team. She has contributed to the school development, often giving assemblies to her year group and to the students at the Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls. She had volunteered and taken part in Tour and Subject Guiding in this sixth form and her previous secondary school. She was also a Student Ambassador at her secondary school, as well as a DT and Mental Health Ambassador. Apart from her academic characteristics, Esther also enjoys extracurricular activities such as swimming and basketball.

I strongly recommend Esther for this award; her drive, discipline, organisation and hard work will her make a success of whatever she sets her mind on.