King's College London

Taking place in the new Engineering Space, the event was opened by our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Shitij Kapur, who highlighted the pertinence of celebrating student success in a space where Rosalind Franklin discovered the helical structure of DNA with Photo 51. He reflected on the challenges students face, many of which, he said, have become more acute over the past few years, with more students working 20-30 hours per week alongside their studies.

Professor Kapur highlighted the Kingsmaker Guild and Key to King’s programmes, two philanthropically funded initiatives that seek to provided development opportunities and scholarships to under-represented students.

The transformational power of support

We then heard from Marriam Albukai, a current student on the Extended Medical Degree Programme and recipient of the Mellor Family Scholarship. Marriam shared her experience of arriving to the UK from Syria at the age of 14 and her route into studying Medicine at King’s. Since coming to King’s, Marriam has been recognised for her academic excellence and contributions to the King’s community. She has undertaken funded research internships and is now pursuing an MA in Global Health Science and Epidemiology at the University of Oxford.

Marriam thanked everyone who supports scholarships at King’s saying:

'These achievements are a testament to the transformational power of support. Your support does not only allow us to pursue Higher Education, but empowers us to challenge and excel in a system that is traditionally inaccessible to us.'

Alumni giving back

Our final speaker of the night was international DJ and philanthropist, Cuppy Otedola (Business Management, 2014). Cuppy, who recently became the first International Ambassador to the King’s Trust (formerly Prince’s Trust), recalled how she fell in love with King’s and the way studying here shaped her future.

Cuppy said: 'King’s College shaped me in ways I never expected… I started as a Nigerian girl with big dreams and I stand before you now, a woman with a global vision.'

That vision is of increasing access to world-leading education for African students, and she emphasised this commitment by also using her speech to launch the brand new Cuppy Fund at King’s. 

You can watch Cuppy's speech below.

The Cuppy Fund

The Cuppy Foundation has pledged £10,000 per year for the next five years to support exceptional students from King’s African Leadership Centre (ALC). This is the Foundation’s third fund supporting students, mirroring those Cuppy has established at her other alma maters, New York University and the University of Oxford.

Inspired by Cuppy’s commitment to increasing access to world-leading education for African students, the fund will provide responsive hardship funds for students within the ALC and the School of Social Science and Public Policy.

Of the fund, she says 'We talk about how hard it is getting into King’s, but what about staying at King’s? It’s just as hard and nobody should worry about whether they can afford to finish.'

You can find out more about the fund and how to apply here.

Join us in supporting student success

You can find out more about our programmes for supporting students who need it most on our giving pages.