Thomas took past in a Sutton Trust Summer School at the University of Nottingham back in 2012. He’s now living in Japan and running his own business. Find out more about Thomas’ journey below.

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

“I come from a small village in the outskirts of Milton Keynes. The area has now become quite affluent, but I grew up in a hardworking working class home, which made me a little different from many of my classmates at school. I was the first person from my family to attend university (which I did with help from the Sutton Trust Nottingham Summer School).”

What was the highlight of your Sutton Trust programme?

“I think the most important part of the summer school was the realisation that I could actually fit in at a top university. Being surrounded by ambassadors and students who came from similar backgrounds was so important and influential. I discovered that living away from home, taking university classes, joining activities, and meeting new people was a possibility!”

What are you doing now?

“I went on to study at Nottingham, and since graduating in 2016 I spent 2 years as a teacher in Japan, did a Master’s at SOAS in London, and was awarded scholarships to study in Taiwan and Tokyo!

I am now living in Japan and run my own business called Thinking in English. I started as a podcast during the pandemic making interesting content for non-native English speakers, and now have hundreds of thousands of listeners and a business I run out of my bedroom! Perhaps in the future I’ll go back into academia, but I’m really enjoying working for myself and helping people around the world learn.”

What was the first step in your career?

“In terms of the podcast, it was a lot of amateur experimentation and commitment. No one listened to my episodes for the first year or so… but I didn’t give up. After about 18 months, I received a donation for €100 and I realised that people actually liked my show!

I also strongly believe my education and experiences overseas helped immensely. Other than my Master’s degree – which I funded through a loan, savings, and a part-time job – I was very fortunate to be awarded scholarships to study in Taiwan and Japan (as well as a job in Japan, provided by the Japanese government before I even did my masters).”

Did you face any barriers in accessing your career – and how did you overcome these?

“I face barriers all the time. I had no education in running a business. I didn’t have the money for a laptop, microphone, studio lights, or expensive podcasting software. Instead, I focused on making the best product with what I had (an old laptop and pair of headphones) and using free software. I found creative solutions to problems instead of throwing money at them.

I then decided to move to Japan and face the hurdle of transferring everything to a new country (that isn’t particularly easy for foreigners to navigate). This is still a hurdle I need to fully overcome, but every challenge is a learning experience!”

What’s the most rewarding thing about your current role?

“It is so rewarding! I get hundreds of messages every week from people saying they enjoy my episodes, they find my content interesting, and that they have improved their English using my materials. I also see the progress in my members who attend my conversation sessions! When you build something yourself, and turn a hobby into a business, it is such a rewarding and unbelievable experience.”

What would you tell someone who was unsure about applying for a Sutton Trust programme? 

“Just do it! My mum made me apply in 2012 – she found the programme on the internet while searching for information to help me understand university. She made me to apply when I was unsure and scared of doing so, then when I was nervous in the run up to the actual summer school she forced me to attend, and I will always be thankful to her.

Without the programme, I have no idea where I would be today. Applying was one of the best and most influential decisions I could have made!”

Please tell us how taking part in your Sutton Trust programme has impacted you? 

“The programme impacted me in so many ways. I left the programme brimming with confidence and once a student, I was committed to the principle of widening participation and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to quality education.

As a student I worked for the University of Nottingham widening participation department, was a summer school ambassador where I helped design sessions, and volunteered for a local widening participation charity. I even met the then Education Secretary, gave speeches to prospective applicants, and won an award at graduation.

Today, I run an educational podcast that is free to listen to and has open access to transcripts because I believe education should be available and affordable! Hopefully in the future I can have an even bigger influence.”

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