Riyadh completed the Sutton Trust Pathways to Banking & Finance programme at LSE. He won our Social Mobility Activist award at our 2024 Alumni Awards – read on to find out why!

Tell us a bit about your background and where you come from.

“I am a British-Bengali 3rd generation immigrant, born in Birmingham, and moved to South East London when I was 7, and I’ve been living here since.”

How did taking part in a Sutton Trust programme impact you?

“Taking part in the Pathways to Banking & Finance programme during my sixth form years allowed me to consider a range of careers in finance and then rule out what I didn’t like. It also allowed me to complete my first real work experience, setting me up for future opportunities such as my work experience with Morgan Stanley.”

What was the highlight of your Sutton Trust programme?

“The highlight of the programme was undoubtedly the 3-day trip to the University of Warwick. Being the first in my family to even consider university, being on campus, hearing from lecturers and just witnessing the life of a student first hand while also being exposed to industry professionals encapsulated all the beneficial and amazing aspects of the Pathways to Banking & Finance programme.”

What are you doing now?

“Since finishing the programme, I took a gap year before beginning university. During this gap year, I started a non-profit organisation called Young Asians in Finance, supporting over 1000 underprivileged and ethnically Asian students in the space of 12 months. At YAF we’ve hosted online workshops, launched a successful finance publication helping students increase their financial literacy, and paired students with mentors to support them on their higher education journey. We also created a YAF Run Club to encourage young Asian communities to get active and connect.

For my work setting up YAF I was the winner of the ‘Social Mobility Activist’ Category at the 2024 Sutton Trust Alumni Awards!

I’m now a student at Queen Mary University of London studying Politics with Management. I’m currently in the process of applying for Spring Weeks to continue my career journey of breaking into M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions) investment banking.”

What would you say to someone thinking about applying to a Sutton Trust programme?

“Understand that the support you will gain from the Sutton Trust is unparalleled. It will connect you with students in the same or similar position as you, as well as give you access to a deeply enriched network of professionals of similar backgrounds. Connections are best made with those you can relate to. In a corporate world full of people who perhaps do not represent you, the alumni network and the general network of people that The Sutton Trust bands together will definitely contain people who can help you, support you and most of all, relate to you.”

Want to inspire students with your story? Get in touch with us at [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.

Browse our library of alumni stories and continue to be inspired!