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Ruth Ofori-Danso

Ruth Ofori-Danso

Young speaker sharing practical university experience and effective revision, exam & career tips

Using her varied experiences in education, Ruth shares various hints, tips and personal experiences to help students navigate through the education system.

At aged 16, Ruth made the brave choice of leaving her secondary school and attending an alternative sixth form. In this transition, she learnt the importance of having teachers and other members of staff who knew you well and could advise you. After receiving her A Level results after first year and receiving D’s & E’s for the first time, she realised sixth form was nothing like GCSE’s. Ruth had gone from being an A student to not even being able to achieve a C. She was out of her depth and she didn't know it. This lit a fire within Ruth to be proactive with her education and instil practices that would help her to achieve. She wanted to achieve at least an A in A Levels and at this point she was nowhere near. Ruth wasn’t sure how this could be achieved or what she could do. So she devised hints, tips and ideas to ensure she was on a schedule to achieve. The hard work paid off and Ruth achieved A*AC. She was going to university!

Ruth attended the University of Durham and studied BA Sociology. Sociology is such a varied subject; people often question what it is or even its relevance in modern society. Studying sociology at university was one of the best life decisions she made. She was studying a subject she was passionate about; her knowledge was expanding and her curiosity about contemporary society was expanding. With this in mind, Ruth pursued sociology further by studying MSc Contemporary Society Thought at the London School of Economics. Here, she learnt about various sociological issues in contemporary society such as:

  • Money, its social relevance and how it is valued
  • The design of a city and its implications
  • War in modern society and its geographical spread
  • The politics regarding gender identity, perception and roles

All the topics aforementioned are relevant to modern, contemporary society and developed her perception of the real world. After this, Ruth entered the world of work. However, no one actually prepared her for what it would be like. To be at a 9-5. To realise the work place was not fully of just theories. And she realised, again, she was out of her depth.

As we enter new stages of our lives, whether it is a new education system, or it is a new educational institution or a new workplace; we often underestimate the extent to which we need to prepare. Ruth was an unlikely candidate to achieve, constantly out of her depth. As a black, female, working class student, the odds were statistically against her. But her determination, drive and diligence were able to develop her to succeed. Ever heard the phrase ‘success leaves clues’? This is a quote originally stated by Tony Robbins – people who are successful are not lucky, they are intentional. As Ruth shares her past experiences in education (& the workplace), she shares thoughts about revision, exams, university and possible careers to provide insight to students.

Working from the age of 13 on a paper round to her first formal job at 16, Ruth has learnt many money lessons from budgeting for and at university to trying to learn the benefits of a side hustle. Ruth has an entrepreneurial mind-set, which she uses to make the most of opportunities. Ruth aims to share messages to empower others and prepare them for the realities of finance.

Testimonials from Teachers

"Thank you for your message and a HUGE thank you for coming to Sutton High yesterday. Your message of loving learning, and not giving up when things don’t go to plan really resonated with the students. Evidenced by the HUGE number of questions the girls asked. Its only usually in Junior School that so many hands go up – and I don’t think that was only because of the lovely folders!"

– ​Karen Kimura, Learning & Development Manager, Sutton High School

"Super inspirational and is an amazing contact!"

– Sarrina, Student, King Solomon Academy

"I just wanted to say a very big thank you for coming in to school today to inspire and motivate the girls. Your talk was perfect, just what we needed to kick start the day which turned out to be great fun, if a little exhausting! The girls could all relate to you, and were fascinated to hear about your journey. As I tell them frequently, it is all about the journey, not the destination, so they should try to enjoy every stage and make the most of every opportunity."

– ​Liz Berner, Head of Careers and Higher Education, Sutton High School

"For me, The ACHIEVE Programme has not just helped me with studying but helped me look at things in a different way. For example, learning to network with people and make different contacts that may be useful in the future. The programme allowed me to focus on my studies more thoroughly and also gave me opportunities and insights to different pathways through our social events and trips to various places e.g. House of Parliament."

– ​Nodibeck, Student, Archbishop Tenison’s CoE High School

"Ruth was fantastic, we would love to book her for next year! The students were really engaged, and her message really spoke to them. They were really positive about her and the way she handled a 200 strong group was exceptionally impressive!"

– Imogen Martin, Assistant Principal: Sixth Form and Careers, Ivybridge Community College

Speaker File

Location

London

Topics

  • Teen Speakers
  • Enterprise
  • Lifestyle
  • Careers
  • Assemblies and Celebrations Events
  • Well-being
  • Exams
  • Money Matters

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