"The struggle is what makes you" : Shakira Martin on Education

Posted by Maddie on 18 May 2017

Shakira Martin, What an inspiration! Are you wondering if it's even worth it? Your job, school, college or training…Are you wondering why bother with school or training or further education? Well Shakira Martin, NUS President-Elect has got some news for us. Listen to this inspiring clip of Shakira talk about her passion for education, experiences of discrimination and vision for young people succeeding.

Shakira suggests that education has meant that she can identify discrimination better and is therefore able to do something about discrimination when faced with it again! "Education has given me the opportunity to understand now that what I was experiencing in the workplace was discrimination, sexism. I never knew, I just thought it was the practice manager being an 'idiot'." This has also motivated her to strive to remove similar barriers for young people, young women, and encourage young people to better themselves regardless of where they have come from. "It won't be until we have eliminated domestic violence, get women into leadership, closed the gender pay gap, get women into STEM project will I be able to celebrate! But I'm happy that I have this platform, to be a face to encourage thousands and thousands and thousands of young people to break down the cycle of deprivation and become somebody of substance."

 

Tags: education, further education, higher education, apprenticeships, discrimination