Chriso’s past 18 months, like so many others, have been quite the challenge. Trying to learn on a shared laptop that was “basically broken down” was one of the biggest lows. “It got to the point where I couldn’t even log into school on time because it took so long to turn on.”

The Access Project supported her with a laptop so she could continue to learn while schools went in and out of lockdown. It also enabled her to continue her one-to-one tuition with her volunteer tutor.

Open minded about her future

Chriso is going to study Law at King’s College London. “I really like humanities – there’s no right answer and everything is open to discussion,” she says. “I really like debating and argumentative discussions.”

She is open minded about where Law takes her in her future. “I don’t set one dream – I’m quite open minded. There are lots of career options related to law. I’m thinking of being a solicitor – but I don’t have to choose what kind of law just yet.”

Support through The Access Project

Chriso was tutored in History for the past two years. She really enjoyed working with her tutor. “She was really nice and really well-informed,” she told us. “She seemed to know exactly what the examiner wanted – and had great transferable skills that she could use for any historical era.”

When asked what her tutor taught her that she’ll take on her journey to university, Chriso responded: “Every interpretation is valid, as long as you have the evidence to wrap it up. This also relates to Law.”

Making her family proud

Neither of Chriso’s parents went to university. “My Mom is unemployed and My Dad works at a radio station,” Chriso explains. “I think they would both be proud of me. My Dad wants me to go into higher education – he always talks to me about university because he never got to experience it. They really want it for me.”

Chriso really recommends other young people take part in The Access Project. “There’s many different reasons they should join, but the biggest is to set goals for yourself for the future. The whole scheme makes you think about what kind of aspirations you have, and how to be realistic about what you want. Tutoring isn’t just beneficial for your grades, it’s about being aware of your goals so you’re more likely to achieve them.”

She goes on to say: “A lot of people’s families don’t have the experience of going to higher education. Despite your economic background you can do as much as you want.”