Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²ÊÖÐÌØÍø alumna selected as part of ‘100 faces’ campaign
15 April 2024
We’re joining Universities UK '100 Faces' campaign to celebrate the achievements of first-generation students. Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²ÊÖÐÌØÍø alumna Sara Berkai has been selected to feature in the national campaign for her success.
Launching on Monday 15 April, a Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²ÊÖÐÌØÍø alumna hasÌýbeen selected to feature in the . The campaign showcases the stories and achievements of students who were the first to go to university in their family, called first-generation students.ÌýÌý
With celebrity ambassadors, including Amid Shah and Beth Mead, the campaign aims to celebrate the stories of first-generation students, and to call for better financial support for these students.ÌýÌý
Sara Berkai
Alumna, BSc Information Management for businessÌýÌý
first attended Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²ÊÖÐÌØÍø as part of a Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²ÊÖÐÌØÍø Computer Science for first-generation sixth form students in London. This first prompted her interest in attending an open day, where she went on to apply and be accepted to study on the IMB Programme. Initially attracted by the high employability rate and opportunities to work abroad, Sara had the opportunity to intern in Shanghai and Silicon Valley throughout her studies.Ìý Sara alsoÌýattended Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²ÊÖÐÌØÍø’s extracurricular entrepreneurship programmes at BaseKX, Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²ÊÖÐÌØÍø’s dedicated entrepreneurship hub in King’s Cross, managed by Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²ÊÖÐÌØÍø Innovation & Enterprise. Here she also received business advice.
Since graduating from Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²ÊÖÐÌØÍø, Sara took a break after graduation to consider her next move. She knew she did not want to follow the traditional employment route and even worked as a digital researcher at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²ÊÖÐÌØÍø. She did know she had a passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and sharing skills in countries such as Eritrea, where she was born. She asked EdTech companies for donations to help prepare workshops.Ìý And even finding time to continue her studies by gaining an MSc in Child Development at the University of Oxford.Ìý
Sara has since launched a social enterprise, Ambessa Play, that develops DIY toy kits to provide opportunities to children around the world to diversify the STEM pipeline. Alongside this, Sara has also received multiple awards for her contributions, including: Ìý
- Ìý
- Innovate UK’s 2022 Young InnovatorÌý
- UN ITU 2019’s Young ICT LeaderÌýÌý
- Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²ÊÖÐÌØÍø Provost’s Excellence Scholarship and the London Opportunity Scholarship.Ìý