Nine years ago, I arrived in the UK with a clear trajectory in mind.
My intention was always to remain in academic research, and teaching was supposed to be a temporary stop along the way. Taking on a role as an agency lecturer at Capel Manor College felt like a practical step while navigating the massive life change of immigration and enjoying everything London had to offer.
However, the classroom quickly redrew my plans. I began to discover a deep passion for working with learners, particularly those from less advantaged backgrounds. I realised that every learner is an individual with distinct aspirations that a dedicated teacher can directly influence.
At the same time, my academic background gave me a distinct lens through which to view the classroom. While each student is an individual, learners as a collective group exhibit clear patterns of behaviour and response. My background in research had trained me to work extensively with complex data and identify subtle patterns in numbers. I began applying those exact habits to education, translating raw performance data into actionable insights, identifying systemic themes across courses, and planning targeted interventions.
Because of this analytical mindset, building robust systems and guiding change management felt like a natural progression. Rather than leaving research behind, I was using data to create structured frameworks that genuinely supported student progress. I wanted to step up, expand my influence, and make a positive impact at a much larger scale. Within five years, that drive took me from a temporary agency lecturer to Director of Studies.
Making change happen at an organisational level proved deeply fulfilling. It allowed me to leverage structured business practices and modern workflows to deliver genuinely positive outcomes for learners, while simultaneously improving the professional day to day lives of staff members.
Leadership is not about abandoning your original discipline. It is about applying its core analytical instincts to wider human systems.
My career took another significant turn when I moved into prison education. Navigating the unique operational challenges of a complex environment like HMP Pentonville is vastly different from overseeing animal management and saddlery collections. Yet, despite the stark shift in setting, the underlying human principles remain identical.
I do not know where my leadership journey will take me next. What I do know is that wherever I am, my core anchor will not shift. I will always work to do the best possible job for our learners and for the colleagues walking alongside me.