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Stories from our Black students

Updated Wednesday, 4 June 2025

During a research project into Black students’ experiences on a peer mentoring scheme, we interviewed four, first-year students. During these interviews, they talked broadly about the challenges they faced in balancing their lives and their study at The Open University.

Find out more about The Open University's Business and Management courses and qualifications.

Listen to their inspiring stories below. In these, they share how having a long-term vision of achieving a degree helped them stay motivated despite challenges.  

The words are spoken by racially minoritised members of the OU community, but are based on the students’ lived experience.  

Debra's student experience

Transcript (PDF document102.0 KB) .

I’m a single mum and I’m studying because I want to give my son a better life. I want to create a future where I can provide for him in ways I never had.

Andrea's student experience

Transcript (PDF document103.3 KB) .

It felt like my dream was slipping away. Then I found the OU Black Scholarship. I applied, but didn’t expect much, to be honest. When I got it, I couldn’t believe it. It felt like a miracle!  

Conrad's student experience

Transcript (PDF document110.5 KB) .

So when the acceptance email came… I can’t even explain it. It was the happiest moment of my life. It changed the way I saw myself and my future. 

Xanthe's student experience

Transcript (PDF document103.6 KB) .

I’m studying business and management because I’ve set up my own business. It’s small now, but I want it to grow, to give me real financial independence. If that doesn’t work out, well, having a degree could mean a better-paid job. Options are important. 


Copyright and acknowledgements

Copyright

OpenLearn publishes all its content using a creative commons licence which allows all our content to be re-used for educational purposes if The Open University is credited.  

More details are available here.

Acknowledgements

Catherine Comfort would like to thank the students who contributed to the research and who talked about their lives. Their names have been changed and they contributed anonymously to the PhD student researcher, Amna Sarwer. Catherine would also like to thank Amna for her contribution and effort to the project.

 

 

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