In 2012, I joined the Through The Looking Glass programme, and it gave me my first real look into the City, the pace, the ambition, the kind of work that goes on behind the scenes. That's where the pull toward a career in the City started. Prior to that, I didn't have the belief that someone from my background was suited for a role in the City.
I knew my grades at the time wouldn't get me there, so I made the call to resit sixth form and aim higher. It paid off, and I ended up with a place at a Russell Group university, the University of Southampton, studying Accounting and Finance. University wasn't smooth the whole way through, there was a point where I questioned my decision to be there and even handed in a letter to leave. My mum was the one who encouraged me to stick with it rather than walk away, and I'm glad I did, because I ended up finishing strong with a First in my final year and a 2:1 overall and connections and memories that will last a lifetime.
These days, I'm a Senior Deal Desk Analyst, where I work at the intersection of commercial strategy, negotiation, and cross-functional partnership helping structure and close enterprise deals, negotiating commercial terms, and working closely with Sales, Finance, and Legal to get complex agreements over the line.
I'm really happy in my career right now. Looking back at everything it took to get here, I feel genuinely proud of what I've built. And I don't think I'd have gotten close without the belief the Through The Looking Glass program gave me. It didn't just open a door into the City for me, it gave me the belief that I belonged there in the first place, and that's shaped everything that's come since. It's also meant a lot to me to be a role model for my brothers along the way, helping motivate and push them in the same direction.