Anmol

When me and my family arrived in the UK in 2014, we didn't speak a word of English.

Fast forward a year. One afternoon, I heard something over the school tannoy: "The Social Mobility Foundation — helping you get into university."

So, I signed up.

That single moment changed everything.

Thanks to the SMF's support, I learned how to write a personal statement, how to apply, to university how to dream bigger. I worked my way through exams and received an unconditional offer to study Finance — and won a scholarship that made higher education possible. That's how I became the first person in my family to ever go to university.

I didn't go to a target school or a Russell Group university — I didn't even know what those were. The goal was simple: study hard, stay close to home, and make education affordable for my family.

Fast forward to my second year at university. Through the Social Mobility Foundation, I discovered for the first time how opportunities like insight weeks and internships could open doors I never knew existed. One of them led to a summer placement at my current employer — my first step into private wealth management, an industry I once found intimidating.

I didn't know anyone in finance, but thanks to SMF, I was paired with a mentor who knew Glasgow inside out. We had something in common — and that connection made all the difference. We're still in touch today.

In my first two years of full-time work, I helped my family achieve something we'd never known before — housing security. For the first time, we finally had a home no one could take away from us.

It's not just my story — it's my parents', my siblings', and every young person I now support. Because when you invest in social mobility, you don't just change one life — you change the trajectory of whole families.