Phoebe Durojaiye. A Nigerian medical student from East London currently studying at the University of York. Being an avid rugby player, musician, member of the student expert panel at her university and recognised as one of the top 150 future leaders in the UK of African/African Caribbean Heritage by Powerlist Magazine in the academic year 2022/23, Phoebe clearly doesn’t shy away from trying her hand at a plethora of different activities and is shown to excel in them also.
Being in quite diverse spaces from young through growing up in East London, the transition to a university like York was always going to be an interesting one. So with that, 3 years into her tenure at the university we decided to interview Phoebe, picking apart the positives and hardships that come with going to such a prestigious university and one that may not have the infrastructure to house and to nurture people who look like her…
You talked about how you made your peace with going to a less diverse uni. Why were you ok with that at that point in your life?
“Primary school and secondary school were quite diverse and we were still the majority, but I went to sixth form in Kent and even though there were still people who looked like me we weren’t as many.”
“I was in various sports teams, church groups etc. at that age; this meant that you were around people who looked like you but you’d be in spaces where they weren’t. Regardless of where you are, you will still shine and it’s about making sure you’re consistent in your character through and through.”
Phoebe was in more than one kind of space during sixth form meaning the transition to university was smooth and less of the spaces she found herself in at university were foreign to her.
Phoebe goes on to explain the thought process she went through when accepting her York offer…
“To be honest, initially, I wanted to go to uni in London and I felt like there be a lot of people who looked like me, that multicultural hub, so when I got the offer to go to the university of York it was a change but I was just grateful I was able to study medicine at the end of the day.”
“If we look at black people being only 3% in the UK we’re not that many, especially considering most of us are in London. So I thought that if I only depended on finding people who look like me, then I’d find it difficult to navigate other spaces. So I thought, “OK! I’m going up North. If I meet people who look like me, great, but if I don’t, it isn’t the end of the world, I’ll just make the most of meeting new people.
There are people who don’t look like me that I have so many similarities with related to things like background, how we grew up etc. Whether it was class differences or subject differences you still find that common ground with people so it’s actually less about where they’re from and more about who they are.“
Phoebe then reflects on the area she grew up in and the emotional connection she has with her local community.
“When I look back to East London I think, I’ve been given a real opportunity here to do something. There are people I went to primary school with that chose a different walk of life. I’m at uni doing a lot of things and I’m sure they would’ve loved to have that education, but it’s a case of circumstance, home & background. So for me, it’s almost like I owe it to myself, my friends, my family & my community to give everything my all.”
The VISION
“The message I got from my parents from early was that “We live in Newham but your mentality is not here.” They gave me the best opportunity education-wise. In sixth form, there was like a step up, the teachers held you to a higher standard and were from different backgrounds. My parents would take my little sister when we used to visit different prospective schools I wanted to go to see the vision. Where I live in East can’t give you that kind of vision. You kind of feel like you’re a dreamer in that environment whereas at my school in Kent, other people think the same way and I’ve seen them do it so now I can do it too. It’s that whole idea of seeing is believing in that sense.”
Say if a 15-18 year old is going into a new maybe less diverse space, what advice would you give them? Also, how would they go about finding opportunities in those spaces?
“When I started uni I didn’t want to do as much as I didn’t want to be labelled as the kid who does the most, but in the end it actually took more of a toll on me than just being me. That consistent value of being committed to understanding people, doing things you enjoy, and that journey of growth and learning; I feel like that’s what helped me most in terms of adapting.”
“A lot of the time I get into a space and just think, ‘Wow this is interesting’, and I think just observing, sitting, watching and listening is very powerful. There’s wisdom and knowledge you can gain and you’ll realise that there’s value and something that can connect you to anyone. In adapting you can still be true to who you are…”
“Wherever I am, whoever comes behind me, I want them to do just as well or be given opportunities. My university has a student panel which I joined allowing me to have a middle-ground conversation with different people from different backgrounds. The first conversation was about what was it like to be a black student in York and the issues and challenges we face. York is quite a white institution so there weren’t many black students on the panel but what was interesting was that even those who weren’t black could still talk, discuss and learn.”
“Do what you enjoy and always try something new. I do fashion shows, events, and a podcast and there are so many things I’ve tried where I think I’m not bad at this I might do this again; but there are also times when I think, ‘This isn’t a bit of me’, but I appreciate the skill and art in this and I think for me that’s been the most enjoyable thing about self-discovery and owning your place.”
The Debrief…
From this interview, we can identify that lessons you learn as a kid seep into adulthood. The environment Phoebe grew up in was one that allowed her to learn a variety of lessons from a wide range of experiences some good, some bad, but either way it shaped her into the person she is today.
York isn’t necessarily the least diverse place in the UK, especially considering just the university, and East London isn’t the most diverse place in the world either, but perception and where you’re based allow you to think differently. Phoebe explained to us her well-rounded perception of her surroundings and how she’s already identified this, probably through age and experiences but that’s just my guess.
There are a number of black individuals living in quite white spaces who have maybe had similar experiences to Phoebe, but the reason why we thought Phoebe would be a great person for this interview was her personality and the perception we had about her outlook on life through just Linkedin posts, Instagram stories and limited interaction. Phoebe is someone who isn’t afraid to take risks, someone who isn’t suppressed by her surroundings but allows her surroundings to be affected by her, a strong personality who doesn’t miss out on an opportunity to learn. Phoebe reminds me of the person I’m trying to be and for that thank you and thank you for being a consistent follower of Raise A Voice!
– interview paraphrased and carried out by Laolu Fayokun (Co-Founder of Raise A Voice)
– published on 19/03/23, re-released on 16/01/25
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