EGA Alumni

If you’re a former student of EGA, we want to hear from you!

Your experiences since leaving could help to motivate and inspire our current students to feel more confident in making decisions about their future. We’d love you to join our alumni network and stay connected with the school.

We’ve partnered with the national education charity Future First, who specialise in helping schools like ours to stay connected with their former students.

You can choose how and when you help – perhaps you can act as a career and education role model, provide work experience, become a mentor in person or online, or help with donations, fundraising or even apply to become a governor.

It doesn’t matter when you left us, whether you’re in further education or employment, whether you still live nearby or have moved further away, there are still ways you can help.

In order to sign up, just follow this link and fill in the online form – we promise it will only take a couple of minutes.

https://networks.futurefirst.org.uk/signup/elizabethgarrett

Many of our ex-students keep in touch with their teachers at EGA and we are always delighted to hear about their achievements. We hope that you will be interested in what the students below have to say about their school days. Read their profiles below.

Khadija Owusu - Medical Student

I was one of the few girls invited to Washington DC by Michelle Obama in 2012. An amazing, inspirational trip that has had a huge impact on my life ever since.

What year did you leave EGA?

2013

What is your current role?

Currently I am in my penultimate year of medical school. It has been a long journey; however, the finish line is near. Next year (2021), I graduate and officially become a doctor.

In addition to being at medical school, I have several leadership roles. Some of these include:

Award Winning Future Leader and Speaker – I’ve been selected as a ‘Top 150 UK African-Caribbean Future Leader’ by Powerful Media, invited to Number 10 Downing Street to meet the Special Advisor to the PM on the Youth and BME Communities, received the 2019 Akindolie Medical Scholarship as well as spoken at several national and international conferences.
Melanin Medics Outreach Coordinator – Melanin Medics is a charitable organization dedicated to supporting the community of African-Caribbean aspiring and current medical students as well as doctors. I organize and facilitate outreach sessions in schools across the UK.
Co-Founder and President of the Medical Elective Equipment Fund – A project that helps students evaluate the use of medical resources in healthcare settings in low-income countries when on their elective, as well as provide these students with the opportunity to donate equipment using grants that have been donated towards the project.

Please describe your pathway since leaving EGA:

Since leaving EGA, I was awarded a 100% Academic Scholarship to study at an independent sixth form in London. There I studied A-Level Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths. I then gained successful entry into a London medical school and have been on the course since 2015. In the academic year of 18/19, I completed an extra degree in BSc Medical Sciences and achieved a First-Class Honours.

Overall, the journey has been amazing, and it can only get better.

What one piece of advice would you give to current students?

There’s plenty of advice to be given, however the most important one that I believe still stays with me till today is ‘Fail to prepare, Prepare to fail’. Organisation and preparation are the key to success in a lot of things. However, things may not always go to plan. There will be up and downs. Life is a rollercoaster. But what matters most is how you overcomes those bridges and get back up.

What was your favourite subject in school?

I had a couple of favourite subjects in school, but I can narrow it down to Maths and Biology. Both teachers were my favourites; Mr Clifford and Ms Rousseau.

Please describe EGA in three words:

1) Community

2) Special

3) Life-Changing – I was one of the few girls invited to Washington DC by Michelle Obama in 2012. An amazing, inspirational trip that has had a huge impact on my life ever since.

Click here for Khadija's university insight

Nishat Tasnim - Counselling Phycologist

Allow yourself to have the fluidity to adapt and change courses

What year did you leave EGA?

2014

What is your current role?

My current role is Counselling Phycologist. I am currently studying at Greenwich University.

Please describe your pathway since leaving EGA:

Since leaving EGA I have worked in various estate agencies prior to finding my path in counselling and psychology. I studied Integrative counselling at Coventry University, whilst training with MIND to be a counsellor prior to changing to Greenwich University to study psychology with counselling in order to gain the scientific background I needed to work in professions within the NHS

What one piece of advice would you give to current students?

To have the flexibility to see all pathways to success which may not always be visible, and allow yourself to have the fluidity to adapt and change courses.

What was your favourite subject in school?

English

Please describe EGA in three words:

1) Attentive

2) Opportunity

3) Compassionate

Zahra Arefa - Medical Laboratory Assistant

I would recommend students to make the most out of the opportunities presented to them

What year did you leave EGA?

2013

What is your current role?

I currently work at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital as a Medical Laboratory Assistant. I work in the enzyme department that specialises in diagnosing and monitoring patients with inherited metabolic conditions such as lysosomal storage disorders.

Please describe your pathway since leaving EGA:

I left EGA in 2013 and continued studying for my A-levels. After completing my A levels in 2018, I took part in an apprenticeship at Great Ormond Street Hospital as a medical laboratory assistant. Once I completed my apprenticeship I was offered a full time permanent position at the hospital in the enzyme department.

What one piece of advice would you give to current students?

I would recommend students to make the most out of the opportunities presented to them and to participate in extracurricular activities to develop a range of skills and experiences. I would also recommend pursuing a passionate subject as a potential career pathway.

What was your favourite subject in school?

English

Please describe EGA in three words:

1) Inspiring

2) Supportive

3) Considerate

Natalie Da Silva

There may be bumps on the road and they may even be times where you feel like giving up but keep on going as you will be so proud of how far you have come

What year did you leave EGA?

2011

What is your current role?

Freelance Presenter, Entertainment Journalist , Blogger and Teaching Assistant

Describe our pathway since leaving EGA:

After leaving EGA, I went on to study Media, Sociology and English at A Levels and then Multimedia Journalism at university.

Alongside my studying at sixth form and university, I made it my priority to take up work experience within media to gain the best knowledge, skill and understanding in the field. One of my other passions was drama so I also enrolled at a drama school.

After completing drama school, I was signed to Identity Agency Group, which also happens to hold some of the UK’s top talents such as John Boyega (Star Wars) and Letitia Wright ( Black Panther).

I completed voiceover work for major film production 'Legend of Tarzan' and Netflix film 'Siege of Jadotville'.

Alongside this, I have also interviewed a range of artists, musicians at a variety of Red Carpet events such as Africa Fashion Week, and most notably, the IARA Awards in which I interviewed BBC One EastEnders Actor Zack Morris and X Factor runner up Misha B to name a few. Furthermore, I also did some travelling which allowed me to have the opportunity to present in Brooklyn, New York for the highly anticipated 'AFROPUNK' festival. I also collaborated with a Japanese magazine ‘Tokyo Graffitii’ and was featured on their tourist fashion edition.

All my work can be found here.

What one piece of advice would you give to current students?

That consistency and hard work really does pay off. It’s something we hear all the time but I can assure you that if you have a strong passion for something, do everything you can to learn more about it, gain some experience on it and get connected with people who have a similar passion with you. There may be bumps on the road and they may even be times where you feel like giving up but keep on going as you will be so proud of how far you have come and for what more exciting experiences there is to come in your own personal career journeys.

What was your favourite subject in school?

Drama, Art and Media Studies

Please describe EGA in three words:

1) Diversity

2) Community

3) Lively