King's College London

Onyinye Udokporo has been named as one of 2020’s Top 10 Rare Rising Stars at a virtual awards ceremony on Thursday 6 August.

Rare Rising Stars is Rare Recruitment’s annual awards ceremony celebrating the UK’s Top Ten Black African and Caribbean university students. The awards showcase the achievements of the best black students in the UK.

Upon receiving the award, Onyinye said, 'It means the absolute world to me, especially because it hasn’t always been an easy and smooth sailing journey to get to this point. I really hope that I will be able to continue to inspire others and uplift them using education.'

Onyinye joined King’s in 2016, where she read Religion, Politics and Society and was awarded the first ever Student of the Year award for her contributions to the student body. In another first, Onyinye became the first student to sit on the King’s College London Alumni Advisory Group. She continued on to study a masters in Education, Policy and Society in the School of Education, Communication & Society, where she has just graduated.

'King’s has supported me right from the very start of my time here', Onyinye said. 'I am dyslexic and the disability support department has given me the best assistance. All the staff in the School of Education, Communication & Society have delivered first class teaching and it has really shaped me as an academic.

'King’s has always given me an opportunity to use my voice as a force for good. They also helped me build my confidence by recognising me as the inaugural student of the year in 2018. There aren’t enough words to express my thanks to the everyone at King's.'

Alongside her studies, and since the age of 12, Onyinye has built up a successful tutoring business. She started by teaching groups of eight in her mother’s living room at the weekends. When she arrived at King’s she decided to expand.

In the summer of her second year, Onyinye studied at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Whilst abroad, she noticed the way Chinese tuition companies operated at such large scale online. This inspired Onyinye to grow her business into something bigger – an online tutoring platform. Upon her return, Onyinye rebranded as Enrich Learning.

Enrich Learning’s mission is to provide affordable tuition for students from underprivileged backgrounds, keeping costs low but paying tutors well above the London Living Wage.

Professor Beatrice Szczepek Reed, Head of the School of Education, Communication & Society, said, 'Onyinye has accomplished so much whilst at King’s – both in her own studies and in her tutoring business that has helped many other students reach their potential. We are delighted that she has been recognised as a Rising Star and a role model for the next generation, Onyinye’s guidance will be invaluable'.

About the awards

Rare Rising Stars is Rare Recruitment’s annual awards ceremony celebrating the UK’s Top Ten Black African and Caribbean university students. The aim of the awards is to share positive stories about Black students, and to inspire the next generation by providing them with access to role models.

Now in its 12^th year, Rare searches the country for students who have achieved academically as well as in business, charity, community organising, music, sport and technology. Find out more about the Rare Rising Stars and watch the awards ceremony here.