Students shortlisted for social mobility awards

Kiera McDonald (left) and Chloe Goodyear (right) have been shortlisted for awards which celebrate social mobility

Two women who grew up in Wolverhampton have been shortlisted for awards which recognise the achievements of students from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

Chloe Goodyear and Kiera McDonald will be recognised at the sixth annual Student Social Mobility Awards, which will be held in London on 18 July.

Ms Goodyear is shortlisted for the banking sector award while Ms McDonald is shortlisted for the creative sector award.

Ms Goodyear said: "I want to show others from low socio-economic backgrounds that your background does not have to define who you are.

"It's part of our identity and always will be but we should never let it hold us back from achieving our dreams."

Ms Goodyear is a student at the University of Warwick and has been offered a banking job after she graduates.

During her GCSEs and A-levels, she balanced her education with caring for her four younger siblings after school while her parents worked.

Ms McDonald is currently studying philosophy, politics and economics at the University of Liverpool, but has always been passionate about creativity.

She started her own freelance graphic business while in sixth form and has since had the opportunity to design menus and signage for the Birmingham BBC Good Food Show.

Her creative projects helped her to secure a one year internship at Nvidia, which became the world’s most valuable company earlier this week.

Ms McDonald said: "To win would be an incredible achievement. I would be lying if I said that my career journey so far hasn't been wracked with doubt and imposter syndrome and, to win an award would confirm that all of my hard work has been worth it.

"I really hope the ceremony will help inspire young people from less privileged backgrounds to know that they can achieve a lot more than their current circumstances may permit."