Last month, our very own Community Engagement Manager Karim West was celebrated in the Manchester Evening News for his work with young people across Greater Manchester, encouraging those from the most deprived areas to consider higher education.
The son of Caribbean immigrants and born in New York, Karim moved to Moss Side at the age of 4. With only footballers for role models, he never saw much of the world outside of his estate.
“I never saw anyone that looked like me being a doctor or a teacher,” Karim says. “I always made a joke that the only person I saw in a professional form was Uncle Phil from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” he told the MEN.
Now Karim is determined to change this mindset. His team of tenacious Community Officers are engaging with young people across Greater Manchester. From community and youth groups to football teams and even barbershops, they are dispelling myths around university and making the idea of higher education less intimidating.
“We always find it difficult at the beginning to get people from the community into higher education because there’s such a stigma around it. One of the things I saw when I grew up was that someone coming out of prison was more celebrated than somebody graduating university. We’re trying to change that stigma and show people that graduating is a massive achievement.”
UA92 Youth is just one of the projects that has engaged Manchester’s teenagers. It gives them the chance to socialise, join in activities and meet UA92 students, all within our Old Trafford Campus. Other projects have included the Beat the Odds event, which celebrated breaking down barriers and unique routes to success, and Fast Forward, which is a free short course helping people return to education.
“When I speak to young people about the amazing things they could achieve, you can see their faces change. They start asking questions with so much positivity – it gives you a warm feeling inside.”
Karim’s work in the community is becoming widely recognised, as he recently received a commendation for the NEON Contribution to Widening Access Award in Higher Education. He was also nominated as a Community Trailblazer finalist at the Legacy 90.1FM 15th Anniversary event.
“I’m insanely proud to see my work bringing young people from deprived areas together being featured in the Manchester Evening News. Giving back to the community that shaped me feels like coming full circle,” says Karim, who is a strong supporter of UA92’s mission to make higher education accessible for all, “Let’s keep working to open doors for the next generation!”
Find out more about community initiatives on our website, from UA92 Youth to Fast Forward.
