Yemi Abe is a Student Ambassador at Imperial who has revolutionised the African Caribbean Society's outreach work. As a teenager, Yemi was told he shouldn’t apply to Imperial despite wanting to study there. He initially heeded this advice and chose not to, but thanks to an eleventh-hour change to his university application, he is now a student at Imperial’s Dyson School of Design Engineering. He is determined to ensure that no young person like him is prevented from reaching their full potential and within his first year at Imperial, he has worked tirelessly to change this. 

“I grew up in Croydon and went to a school where not many people go on to university. Attainment was low, but I had big aspirations so I thought if I just try hard, I can probably go somewhere. I really loved science and when I heard about Design Engineering at Imperial, I thought that sounded great. I liked that it is so creative and the opportunity to make something in your mind into a reality was really exciting to me.

“When I was applying though, I was told by my sixth form that I shouldn’t apply to Imperial because it’s very competitive and has an international standing. So I didn't pick Imperial and I removed it from my application.

“I mentioned this to my mum when I got home and she said, ‘You never know what's going to happen. It's best that you tried and failed than to not try.’ So at the last minute, I changed my options on my UCAS form to Imperial. I didn’t have any expectations of getting in, so when I got invited to an interview, I was over the moon. I put my all into it. I was very nervous, but I got an offer.”

Yemi went on to achieve the A*AA grades he needed to secure his place and joined Imperial in 2023 – a reality that wouldn’t have been possible had he followed the advice he was given.

STEM Futures

Yemi qualified for a week-long summer school that took place ahead of term to help smooth the transition from sixth form. “We had a talk from a Student Ambassador telling us how he gets to be a mentor and inspire the next generation. I thought that sounded great, so I applied as soon as it opened.”

As a Student Ambassador, Yemi works with children aged 9-18 supporting activities that offer insights into STEM and university life. But the stand-out programme for Yemi is STEM Futures.

STEM Futures supports students in Years 10-13 from Black heritage backgrounds in pursuing STEM degrees. Participants access application support and academic sessions as well as skills workshops. “It really empowers the students, but it empowers me too. There’s a 'Meet the Ambassador' session, where I talk about my journey to Imperial. I tell them that I was told not to apply here. I tell them ‘just believe in yourself’. One came back to me and said ‘your advice changed my life’ and someone else said they feel more comfortable about applying to university after hearing that.

“The students on STEM Futures are great. They are always intrigued, always engaged. And every time they come back, they’ve grown more confident and it's just great seeing it. If I can inspire them and motivate them, I'm happy. It’s why I keep going.”

African Caribbean Society

“Not that many people from my background come to Imperial. Especially as I live in an area where very few people go to university. There were over 100 people in my year and only three of us have gone. Where I come from is really diverse so it was a bit of a shock coming to Imperial but I managed to find my community in the African Caribbean Society (ACS). The ACS is for people who are from, or are interested in, African and Caribbean culture. We support each other through social activities and organise career events.”

When it was time to choose the 2024/25 committee, Yemi put himself forward for the Outreach role and was elected. “The first thing I did was arrange a workshop for aspiring medical students then we did some school talks trying to encourage people of Black heritage to pursue universities like Imperial. When I was in school I didn't know about any of this until I actually got to university. I didn’t know about outreach. I didn’t even know what Imperial was until I was in Year 12. It would have been great if I’d had those opportunities.”

Only a few months into the role, Yemi organised the ACS’ first Outreach Conference - a day-long event for Year 12 students featuring inspiring talks and workshops. “We had so many applications – over 230 in the first three weeks so we had to close it early. The event was amazing – people were really inspired and many of them said they hoped to come to Imperial.

“You never know what your story can change. I don't want anyone to go through what I went through. We are able to inspire a different generation, give them the courage to come to universities like Imperial and pursue STEM degrees.

“I have high respect for teachers. They can make or break a person. Some of the words they use can direct the path of someone's life. Getting told not to do something, when you know deep down that you can, is very frustrating. I had friends who were told not to apply to certain courses and universities, and I knew they had the potential. That's why I want to inspire people to do their best and not let someone else tell them what they can't do.”

Yemi has all the attributes to change the world for the better. Coupled with academic excellence, he is the ideal Imperial student. That he might not have applied, and that others like him are discouraged from realising their aspirations, is a travesty. It is what Imperial’s Outreach programmes strive to change alongside students in the ACS and organisations like the Amos Bursary.

But whilst these schemes make a difference, gaps remain. Being from Croydon, Yemi would like to see more engagement with south London schools - something he’ll push for in his new position with the ACS. He also wants students to be able to see more people of Black heritage at Imperial. “It’s just weird when they come to Imperial and they don't see many Black professors, and they think, ‘how am I going to make it if I don't see myself there?’”

When Dr Sunday Popo-Ola first joined Imperial's Faculty of Engineering in 1990, a pivotal remark changed the course of his career. “My new colleague said she was happy to see someone like me. I said, ‘What do you mean?’ She said, ‘Look around, there aren’t many people like you.’” This comment ignited Sunday’s ambition to increase representation in STEM and help ensure there were more people ‘like him’ at Imperial.

"I was motivated to find ways to help young Africans to gain admission to Imperial and other high-ranking universities. I began by organising outreach activities with schools local to Imperial because I knew them well." Sunday came to the UK from Nigeria as a school student, doing GCSE (O) and A-levels in private schools near Holborn, and living with a diverse array of students in accommodation just north of Hyde Park.

"But I also invited schools from London boroughs such as Newham, Brent, Peckham and Walthamstow. These have highly diverse student populations who are underrepresented amongst home students at top universities."

Sunday brought hundreds of young people onto Imperial's campus for STEM workshops, giving them the opportunity to engage with science and engineering in ways they hadn't experienced before. Key components of these visits were talks from inspiring young Black people at Imperial. “We invited people who looked like them to speak, so they could see that there are people like them doing amazing things. I’d walk through Imperial and if I saw someone who looked like me, I’d stop them and say, ‘What course are you doing? Come speak to these school students for five minutes.’ They didn’t need a prepared speech - I just told them to talk about something they would’ve wanted to hear at that age.

“It was fantastic. The pupils would stay behind, asking questions, wanting to know more. Some of those pupils eventually came to Imperial, and became ambassadors for the programme as a way to give back and to help keep it running.”

Building Creative Futures

Sunday’s outreach work eventually evolved into a formal programme called Creative Futures. Launched in 2005 with support from Imperial’s race equality network, Imperial As One, Creative Futures brought together academics, Imperial students, and community leaders to offer STEM workshops to young people. The programme has since reached thousands of young people both in the UK and internationally.

One of the most notable milestones for Creative Futures was its expansion to Jamaica. "The Jamaican High Commissioner came to see what we were doing at Imperial and was so impressed that he asked me to bring the programme to Jamaica. It took two or three years to get it going, but we did it, and it was very successful.

“I’m from Nigeria, so when we realised that it worked in Jamaica, I wanted to try it in my own state in Nigeria. It worked and when some Imperial alumni in Nigeria found out what we were doing, they wanted to support it. After that, it just spread – not only to other states but to Ghana and Kenya too. Once people saw the impact, they wanted us to bring the programme to their communities, so we did."

Sunday received crucial support from Imperial alumni in these countries, many of whom volunteered their time or provided sponsorship. "The moment they know we’re coming, they’re ready to seek leave from work and support our tour. They commit their time and effort because they know the benefits of coming to Imperial to study."

The COVID-19 pandemic posed a significant challenge to Creative Futures, but it also presented new opportunities. In 2019, Sunday collaborated with Professor Sara Rankin, using a grant from the Royal Academy of Engineering to train academics and researchers in outreach work. “We trained about 40 people across the UK, who were ready to go into schools. But then COVID hit, so we had to pivot."

Creative Futures partnered with Twin Science, a global education foundation, to run a 12-week online programme. It reached over 5,000 young people worldwide and included science-based quizzes and competitions, with prizes including science kits sent out to the winners - even to remote parts of Africa. "Some students didn’t even have laptops to join the livestreams," Sunday says. "They would gather around their teacher’s phone to take part."

Changing perceptions, shaping futures

For Sunday, one of the greatest challenges has been addressing the barriers that discourage young people from applying to universities like Imperial. "Some teachers and parents give students the idea that they won’t meet the grades or that London is too expensive. We need to break down those beliefs, so they aren’t scared to apply because if you don't apply, you can't get it in. You have to apply to be in with a chance."

Sunday has also played a key role in supporting the Amos Bursary, which provides opportunities for talented young people of African and Caribbean heritage. "When they first started, it was only for boys," he says. "We encouraged the Bursary to include girls, because you can’t separate them – they obviously deserve the same opportunities."

Looking back on his career, Sunday is proud of the progress that has been made at Imperial. "In the early days, it was difficult to get people to even attend meetings on race equality," he recalls. "Now, things are much better. We have mentorship schemes, training programmes, and direct access to leadership. I’m very pleased with how far we’ve come."

But his work is far from over and his dedication is unwavering. "For as long as I’m here, I want to make sure that there are more people like me who get the opportunity to come to Imperial. It’s not just a job—it’s a mission."

Emma Watson is an Evaluation Officer working across both the Outreach team and the Public and Community Engagement team at Imperial. Emma is also an Imperial alumnus, joining the university in 2013 to study Physics where she worked as a Student Ambassador supporting programmes such as STEM Potential and the Summer Schools. Coming from a single-parent household, Emma is passionate about helping young people from underserved communities have the opportunity to come to universities like Imperial. In her work she is an avid champion of inclusion and accessibility across all of Imperial’s Societal Engagement activities.

“The focus of my role is on the Societal Engagement work we do in White City. Day-to-day I’m designing surveys, planning focus groups and collecting data and feedback. I also do a lot of analysis and reporting with the overall goal of bringing together the narrative of our work.

“Evaluation is incredibly important. We spend a lot of time and resources delivering activities, but it’s meaningless unless we know whether it’s having a positive impact.”

As a student, Emma applied to become a Student Ambassador. “I’d done a lot of work with children and I was looking for flexible part-time work to help with living costs, so this seemed like a great opportunity.

“I absolutely loved it. As soon as I started working, I realised that it was very important to me to try and give more opportunities to people who had come from a similar background to myself, or are underserved, underrepresented, or disadvantaged. I feel incredibly lucky that I was able to attend Imperial and I wanted to do everything in my power to give other people the chance.

“I have a weird relationship with privilege. Although I went to a good school in an affluent area, we were a single parent household with a very low income, and my mum had other caring responsibilities, so in terms of parental time, there wasn't a lot to go around. I definitely felt the pressures of finance. A big motivation for me coming to Imperial was that they had a very generous means-tested grant that I was eligible for. Student fees had just increased from £3,350 per year to £9,000 so that was a concern for me.

“A lot of my course mates were privately educated and it’s interesting how vastly different our backgrounds were. I sometimes felt I didn't fit in, but I always had friends and a support group. Studying Physics, everyone viewed it as the hardest thing we were ever going to do and the only way we were going to get through it was together. So I had a great peer network.

“When I got more involved with outreach, Dr Mel Bottrill (Head of Outreach Programmes) was very supportive. She’s good at identifying Ambassadors with a strong interest in outreach or who need more financial support, so she helped me find additional work in the Outreach team helping with data analysis and data collection.”

After her studies, Emma joined a research team at UCL who were investigating factors that influence young people’s STEM interests and career aspirations. There, she undertook more analysis and data processing and became exposed to sociology research methods which helps her in her current role, assessing the impact of Imperial’s Societal Engagement work in White City.

“We're having a positive impact and it's been nice to see more programmes that work closely with those underrepresented in STEM such as STEM Futures which works with Black heritage young people. In the last week, I've spoken to Ambassadors who have been involved with our programmes while they were at school. This is an important impact of our work, that young people want to stay involved with that pipeline for the next cohorts.

“I'm always impressed and feel very proud when I look at the number of young people we work with every year. It’s around 1,200 in White City alone. We see many of the same students come back, and that's lovely. I also think the growth of our Outreach team is an asset and speaks to the number of programmes we're able to run across multiple campuses.

Emma's commitment to equality extends to neurodivergence, primarily thanks to an experience while volunteering at the Science Museum. “I used to run planetarium shows for children with autistic spectrum conditions and their families. I knew a bit about autism before volunteering, but I gained a much better understanding through that experience. The families were really generous and honest with their feedback around what was working and wasn’t, so from that, I was able to help change environments to better suit people with additional needs. I've taken that learning into everything I do. I've always tried to be an advocate for inclusion, and I would say that's something I'm very proud of.”