Pam’s story

I’m Pam and I’m an activist from Thailand. I have been in the UK since 2016.

Coming to the UK, everything was new to me. I didn’t know anyone; I didn’t have family here or any relatives. It was overwhelming in terms of trying to find support. We all know that there is support in the UK and lots of charities, but we don’t know specifically who provides the right support. 

I got to know Breaking Barriers because I wanted to get into university, but I had zero idea how the system works and how to get admission. I started working as a volunteer at another organisation and they were involved with a lot of student groups across the UK. I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. I was volunteering doing activism at LSE [London School of Economics] and making friends there. I asked one of the students: ‘how can I apply to be a student here?’.  

They recommended Breaking Barriers, because back then Matt [Powell] was CEO. He was an alumnus of the university. I could have asked anyone, like the students that I worked with, to help me with my application. But there’s a lot to do to apply. You have to do an English exam, write an essay, provide a CV, lots of things. Breaking Barriers had a specific system and specific guidelines to help people applying to university.  

Support from Breaking Barriers 

To begin with, Breaking Barriers had to check my what my English level was, so they could help me in the right way. Apart from English courses, I think the most important support I got from Breaking Barriers was help to build my application to get into university. Breaking Barriers arranged a volunteer to sit down with me and build my application from the very beginning. I had absolutely no idea how to do that because back home in Thailand, we just have to sit an exam. 

I also volunteered with the Breaking Barriers’ Education Team as an Education Programme Assistant. It was the programme that helped me prepare for employment. I helped to set up the Breaking Barriers’ classes, and the experience prepared me for office work, learning to answer emails, getting used to systems, being organised, being open minded to cooperate. 

Before Breaking Barriers, I was lucky enough to be an intern while I was doing my undergraduate degree. But it was totally different because it was back home in Thailand. It is different in the UK – you have to speak a totally different language, and the culture is different. I got to experience everything with Breaking Barriers, not just a cheeky pint after work! People here in the UK tend to compromise more and be open minded. It is totally different, it’s more diverse. 

The path to meaningful employment 

The support from Breaking Barriers meant everything to me, since it got me into LSE to study politics. Once you get into university you start a new chapter of your life. I got to make friends, build some networks, get a proper education, get a UK degree, to prepare me for everything, to be integrated within society. 

Once I finished my studies at LSE, I was doing lots of campaign work. Then I got a corporate job. It’s a totally different path. Now I get to choose my path, because now I have a UK degree, which is very helpful. Not everyone gets the chance to totally change their path or have more choices.  

Now I am working at an advertising firm. My role is an account executive doing social media. In the future I would love to get involved with something to do with campaigns. The path that I am on right now is corporate, but another path is an activist. I would love to combine these paths to be a campaigner on social media, focusing on humanitarian issues. In my next chapter, I hope to combine these skills.