Dear members of the African Caribbean Society,

Our education system layout suggests that from age 14, students must know what profession they're being called to. They must pick GCSEs, then A levels and gain relevant experience before entering university. Contrary to this, in year 9, I wanted to be an astronaut; in year 11 a doctor and now a politician. And this profession sticks. I am falling in love with human rights law, climate change campaigning and making my world a better place for my people. Thus, I am honoured to be running for the position of Careers and Sponsorship Officer to drive the progression of our people and bridge the gap between our racial counterparts through nourishing the next generation.

Having worked in fundraising and outreach with multiple NGOs, I have experience sourcing funding, creating proposals and maintaining relationships that can be transferred to working with sponsors. Furthermore, I have worked with brands such as Superdry as a brand ambassador; thus, I have experience networking across multiple industries. I plan to pitch valuable proposals to sponsors to ensure the ACS receives the necessary funding to support our program and events and tailor them to their needs.

I hope to improve the representation of people of African and Caribbean descent in specific industries and sectors in which they are underrepresented. The strong push from African and Caribbean parents into careers such as medicine though beneficial due to racial health disparities and ill-treatment is limiting us from seeing our people in leadership positions within politics and humanities. Because there are not enough of us holding positions where we have the power to create change, we continue fighting an age-old fight. Yes, we need minority doctors, but for minority patients to be treated fairly, it starts with policymaking within the healthcare system. And yes we need minority lawyers, but to that dismantle the system, we must also permeate the system with lawmakers and judges. And to provide young minority children with a proper education in which they are encouraged to reach the highest of heights, we need black people in the education system. I have grown to understand how crucial it is for people of colour to see those with a complexion like theirs in places and roles which are not typical for African or Caribbean students.

As the Sponsorship Officer, I will collaborate with the Head of Events to plan career events tailored to our sponsors. These events will be held throughout the year, including CV building, networking, trading, alums, and application help events. I am committed to ensuring that the events are successful and provide our members with valuable opportunities to network and learn about potential career paths in the hope of expanding the number and scope of career-focused events within the society so that when considering your future, things seem just a little bit easier. I also plan on developing group chats for people with similar career streams to network and discuss opportunities and share career events held by other UoL unis and external providers. Whether in the creative industry, tech, consulting, finance or policy. 

The C&S Officer position can sometimes be undervalued and underdeveloped in a society. Therefore, I hope that with your vote, I can make it a position that reflects and responds to the concerns of you, the student, and ultimately, become a position that helps provide some guidance within a competitive and ever-changing job market. As a committed and motivated individual, I am confident that I can fulfil the role's requirements and contribute to the success of society.

Thank you, 

Ogorchukwu Ozor