Vice Chancellor, graduates, families, friends, loved ones. It is my honour to stand here before you today and speak on behalf of students.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you all on your incredible achievement.

You should be very proud of your own unique journey to graduation because you aren’t sat in the seat you are in now because you hoped for it, but because you believed in it, because you worked for it and because you stayed focused on your end goal.

However, it’s important to remember University is more than the assignments and the exams. We have created some great memories, made lifelong friends and more importantly learned more about who we are, our values and what our unique contribution is to the world. The script handed to us today is ours to keep. We are all in charge of writing our own script, so don’t let anyone else hold the pen. 

I want you to think of an opportunity you pursued alongside your degree. For example, you may have helped to represent or support others. I would like to pay a special thanks if you were involved in the Students’ Union as a course rep, school president, played for one of our sports teams, held a committee position on one of our clubs or societies, or even got involved in a volunteering or campaign project that you were passionate about. You have supported others and helped make life better for students. So, if you were involved in the Students’ Union, please can I ask you to stand up while we all give you a round of applause.

I am passionate about increasing life chances for underrepresented communities through the power of sport so that they can inspire and empower those around them. During my time as a student, I began to explore volunteering opportunities locally, nationally and internationally to help me connect with people in football and build my experiences in the industry.

When I was part of The Football Association Leadership Academy back in 2019, we had a session reflecting on our, SHED. 

I’m not talking about the shed in the back garden. I’m talking about our SHED. And I’m going to talk about how we can maintain our SHED so that we can bring the very best of us to the world.

To make our very best contribution, to the things that really matter, there are 4 basic areas that allow us to function at our best. 

S is for Sleep - are we getting enough hours every night to help us function at our best? 

Hydration, are we drinking enough water? 

Exercise, are we taking time away from our desk to move and stretch and be close to nature? 

And Diet, are we eating the things that will nourish our body?

If any of  those 4 areas are not functioning properly, we will burn out. 

Once we have refuelled, that’s when we can decide how to turn up and use our degrees to improve the lives of others. 

So before we can fix anything else or think about supporting others let’s fix our SHEDs 

If we want to be more powerful in life, let’s continue educating ourselves. 

Our education doesn't stop here.

Every one of us sat here today should use our voice to make the change we want to see.

I understand that the graduate world at this moment can seem quite daunting, but in reality, no one really has it all figured out. 

The only person you should compare yourself to is the person you were yesterday.

Life has a way of changing your plans even if you think you have it all sorted.  

There is no straight path to success, so embrace all the challenges and remember to bring others along with you as you succeed. 

Be true to yourself and your beliefs and use your degree to help make the world a better place.

And on that note, I would like to thank the families, friends, university staff and loved ones that have joined us here today and supported us through our highs and lows during our times as a student.

So, aim high, be brave and be kind and amazing things will happen. I hope you enjoy celebrating with your loved ones, and I wish each one of you all the best for the future.