Student story: Ras.I.Martin

The journey so far

This gives me a moment to stop and reflect on all that I have seen and been through to get here. To reflect on a childhood living in women’s refuge centres, homeless, struggling and scared. To an upbringing teetering on the line of absolute poverty, holes in my shoes and often no food to eat. Having lived it all just feels like life, but in this moment to pause I am able to recognise my own achievements but to do so in the context of my route to get here.

Maybe: All the while, I am aware that this is only just the beginning. If I am to achieve my goal of pushing the dial forward for the other poor people across the UK this must be just ….  YESSS

You’ve now finished your degree at Oxford, what would your biggest reflection be of your time here?

Great question! I guess I’ll split this into an academic one and a personal one:

My academic reflection has been an increased awareness of how difficult governing is. How many factors there are in decision making, and in the outcomes of nations. Often, I find that in society, and also in academia, we have a tendency to over simplify. For me, the more I read, the more conversations I had, the more I learned, the more I realised that I know far less than I thought. However, this excites me massively, there is still so much of the world for me to unpack in my life long pursuit to push the dial forward for marginalised communities in the UK and abroad.

My personal reflection has been a demystifying of the ‘elite’ spaces. I had always viewed Oxford as an unattainable space, where people like me don’t belong. But I was so wrong, and I got to see how there are plenty of people from backgrounds like my own. And for those who were not, I realised that there are more similarities to me than I had thought.

What would your one piece of advice be to students considering applying to Oxford?

My number one piece of advice for anyone considering applying to Oxford is: be audacious and just apply. So many of my friends never took the chance because they thought they weren’t "good enough." But after coming here, I’ve realised they, just like me, would have thrived in a space like Oxford—if only they had taken that leap of faith.

For me, I was the first in my family to go to university. I had teachers who doubted me, telling me I wouldn't go anywhere in life, and people even laughed when I said I was going to apply. But despite the doubt, I believed in myself and took the risk. And it paid off.

Breaking generational cycles requires courage—courage to face uncertainty and step beyond the comfort of what is familiar. So, trust in your abilities, take that step, and see where it leads you.

What’s next for you?

Growing up with everything I witnessed, has ignited a fire under my belly to push for meaningful change for Britain’s poorest. There are many ways to approach this, but my ultimate goal is to enter representative politics as an MP. However, before taking that step, I’ve sought to broaden my perspective, which has led me to pursue change through the NHS.

As a governor of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, I’ve already been deeply committed to addressing race- and class-based health inequities. This is a cause I’m eager to continue championing from an executive level within the hospital. To accelerate my path towards NHS leadership, I aim to join the NHS General Management Scheme, which will fast-track my journey to positions where I can drive change from the top down.