Oluchi Okoli, 2021

Oluchi is a second year student, reading Medical Sciences at Clare.

Oluchi's story

Coming up from the Backs through the middle gate (because I’m not superstitious) and being greeted with Clare bridge, the expansive river Cam on either side and the sounds of punters reciting their usual speeches is a core memory that I’ll have for life. I still remember the first time I looked at the entrance to Clare when I arrived at the gates with my dad.  I was struck by the beauty of Old Court, the towering buildings on either side of me and the sense that everything was about to change. I was a nervous fresher, one who had never even visited Cambridge in the past, but I was so excited to start my new stage of life.

If I were asked a few years ago if I fitted the “typical Cambridge student” profile, I would have answered a resounding no. Coming over from Nigeria to Belfast aged six meant a lot of grappling with who I was and where I fitted in. Growing up, I navigated things that were as small as learning that the preferred word was ‘rubber’ and not an ‘eraser’ to bigger things like the implicit and explicit biases I received as a black girl in a predominantly white space.

However, from day one, Clare has been a place where I’ve never had to question my right to be in a space. My time at Clare has shown me that there is no typical applicant. Today, I’m able to interact with a diverse range of people coming from all walks of life and across the globe- each bringing the best in a way that enriches our Clare community.

I chose Clare mainly on a whim. I had a strong idea that I wanted to study at a pretty college and for someone who can’t ride a bike, the easy access to my lectures and practicals was a huge bonus. That being said, if I were to choose again, I’d choose Clare every time. I spent my first year visiting other colleges and attending different formals and I felt time and time again that Clare was the place I was always meant to end up in. This led me to join the UCS as co-BAME officer because I knew that I wanted to help play an active part in continuing to make Clare a place where marginalised voices could feel at home.

When I signed the book at Matriculation, I unknowingly joined the long line of strong female figures who came before me and I’m excited for the next 50 years of tertiary co-education. I can’t say for sure where I’m going to end up; whether that be in the speciality of medicine I’ll end up practising or even where I’ll live. However, without a doubt, I know that coming to Clare represents getting a master key to the world and I can’t wait to see where the values I’ve learned here will take me.