Daisy: An EQ+ Celebration Series Highly Commended Story

Posted on: 21 July 2026 in Student experiences

Daisy is balancing Civil Engineering with volunteering, peer support and advocacy. Her own experience of starting university while living with physical disabilities and personal challenges has made her someone other students feel able to turn to. Through the EDI committee and her mentoring at UCLH, she is helping other young people feel heard, supported and less alone.

You have had a lot to navigate since starting university. What has made you want to support other people too?

Starting university while dealing with physical disabilities and personal issues has not always been easy, but I have not let it stop me from trying to do my best. It has also made me realise how much it matters when someone listens without judgement. I often find that I am the first person my peers come to when they are struggling with lecture content, work or something more personal, and I try to be someone they feel comfortable talking to.

What does your work with the EDI committee and UCLH look like in practice?

On the EDI committee, I speak to other students and represent their experiences in meetings so that the University can better support and accommodate everyone. At UCLH, I volunteer as a young person mentor. I talk to teenagers who are moving to university, adult clinics or just going through big changes, and share the practical things that have helped me manage my own condition. It is really meaningful to help bridge the gap between doctors and young people living with chronic health conditions.

What would you love to do next?

I want to keep developing as an engineer, but I also want to keep helping people who are dealing with long-term health conditions. One of my biggest goals is to write a book for young people with diabetes. I would love it to be something honest, practical and encouraging that shows people that a diagnosis does not have to stop them doing what they want to do.