Succession: Michelle Acheampong

Michelle Acheampong

First-year Land Economy student

If someone had told me even two years ago that I’d be studying at an institution as reputable as Trinity College Cambridge, I would’ve been completely incredulous. Not solely due to a lack of belief in my potential, but predominantly because I perceived prestigious institutions like these as being places where, as a black woman from a working-class background, I wouldn’t fit in.

However, it was through watching YouTubers such as IbzMo, following social media such as Cambridge ACS on Instagram, and the encouragement of my parents and tutors that I began viewing Cambridge as an inclusive environment that I aspired to be part of.

It’s a dream come true to be here and it’s amazing to see the number of BAME people admitted to the University increase by such magnitude this year. I hope to inspire the next generation of prospective BAME students to apply to Cambridge, just as I was inspired by those before me.

Photograph: © Henry Kamara