Sam moved to the UK with his family as a child. He describes home life as happy, but transitioning into the UK was challenging. There were cultural and communication barriers that impacted his experience growing up. As a child, he found adapting to a new environment difficult but he overcame these difficulties as he grew into a young adult. “I think moving to the UK, coming from abroad and trying to get accustomed to the language was challenging. Also, adjusting to the culture since my background isn’t originally British was hard since there were cultural barriers and communication barriers, but as I grew up, I started to see how the UK is very integrated in terms of the different cultures, religions and perspectives.”
Adjusting to the culture since my background isn’t originally British was hard since there were cultural barriers and communication barriers.
Sam is at university, where he studies biomedical science when he joined the environmental leadership programme. “I joined the programme to learn new skills and learn more about the environment with likeminded people.” The programme gave him an opportunity to develop leadership skills and confidence. He was initially unsure what career path to pursue, so he started volunteering with young people. “I wanted to keep my options open, and if I don’t manage to get into my desired career path, then I know that I can utilise the transferable skills from jobs and volunteering experiences to other opportunities to ensure that I am able to adapt and change whenever I need to because I have the skills from different past opportunities.”
I got to converse with other participants like myself, along with listening to other people’s perspectives.
As part of the environmental leadership programme, he was able to engage with other participants; he cites this as one of the most important aspects of the programme. “I think one of the most vital parts of the programme was the interactive sections of each session where I got to converse with other participants like myself, along with listening to other people’s perspectives, and also discussing the various areas of environmental issues.” Sam describes his time on the programme as preparing him for the wider world. The interactivity and the team discussion allowed him to gain insight into diverse perspectives. This insight helped him better understand environmental issues and the solutions that might be employed to address them.
Taking part in the environmental leadership programme during COVID meant that Sam had to face the pandemic's challenges alongside the programme's intensity. It was delivered almost exclusively online which can make interaction difficult. Despite these challenges, Sam was ready to engage with the programme and described it as a good experience. The experience altered his views about himself and the environment. It allowed him to become more introspective to better understand his strengths and weaknesses. He describes himself as having a growth mindset and always looking to improve and learn. The programme consolidated this mindset for him. It also challenged his perception and knowledge about environmental issues, “I think the programme made me realise that environmental issues are very complex in terms of the facts and that topics linked to the environment are not necessarily black and white”.
The programme helped me in terms of choosing the right opportunities.
After the programme, Sam is still studying at university, working part-time and volunteering. He is now in a position to start exploring his next steps. “I think the programme helped me in terms of choosing the right opportunities. Instead of just choosing any random opportunity, I’m now choosing opportunities that are more tailored towards my current interests rather than just choosing one that just looks good on my CV.” Sam is only at the beginning of his journey after UpRising. The impact of the programme and the skills he gained continue to support him as he pursues his career and passions.