Rich's story

Rich is sure of one thing. Had it not been for Next Step York he would not have gone to university. “It’s that simple,” says the Doncaster- born graduate now working for global professional services firm RSM.

Rich, whose father is a joiner, had always aspired to work with his head rather than his hands, but, as A Levels loomed, he began to realise that he might not make the grades to get to a good university. So, he began to explore an apprenticeship route to accountancy, securing a place with Deloitte to train in audit.

It was then that Next Step York visited his school. “It was a lifeline. It gave me hope that I could get into a Russell Group university.” But both his school and his parents urged him to take the apprenticeship route, with no debt and a guaranteed job at a time when good jobs were scarce.

At that point, while Rich knew he wanted to work in finance, he was undecided about the specific role. A three-year degree course would provide him with the time he needed to make that decision.
The apprenticeship route risked closing his options.

His experience of Next Step York – with its residential summer on campus, peer group mentoring, and practical insights into research,
referencing and writing – gave him the confidence to go against the grain and ignore the advice of his teachers and parents.

And that confidence – along with lasting personal friendships – stayed with him throughout his time at York. “I was the only one who wasn’t nervous on the first day, because I was in familiar surroundings and after doing Next Step York I felt I knew more about university life than other students from wealthier backgrounds who had friends and family who had been to university. If anything, I felt like I had an advantage over them.”

The decision to go against the advice of teachers and parents also inspired him to make the very most of his experience at York, throwing himself into the wider world of university life, securing work experience and internships with investment banks along the way, to ensure he was in the strongest possible position to get a job. By the final year of his BSc Economics and Finance degree, he had become the President of the Economics Society and had secured a graduate place with RSM.

Today, with an ACA qualification under his belt, he is part of a niche team within corporate finance advising on corporate disposals and
acquisitions. Reflecting on the degree and his four years working in Leeds, one thing is clear; “I wouldn’t be where I am today if not for Next Step York. That is the cold, hard truth.”

It is also the reason he is passionate about social mobility. “I am the social mobility champion at RSM in Leeds. I want to help students from similar backgrounds to me as much as I can. We are working on a variety of programmes and initiatives that help bridge the gap and ensure equal opportunities for all.

"It’s for us to help give the next generation of students more access to opportunities than we had."