A Lancaster University geography student, who is the first in her family to go to university, wins a national social mobility award.

Sophie Lee was studying abroad in Canada during her second year taking Geography at Lancaster University when she decided she wanted to apply for a summer internship. Sophie is the first in her family to go to University and neither of her parents had experience of writing CVs or preparing for interviews.

“Both my parents left school at 16. My dad never really had to apply for jobs as he got a job with a friend and then started his own small business, and mum can’t work because of ill health.”

So Sophie decided to seek out resources to help her succeed. An email from the Lancaster University Careers Service told her about upReach, a charity that specialises in helping students from less-advantaged backgrounds access high quality graduate jobs and internships. Sophie got in touch and was given an upReach coordinator, Gemma Exelby, to act as a personal advisor and coach.

A year later Sophie has not only been offered several prestigious internships but has received an upReach Social Mobility Award, winning the category for a student taking a STEM subject. The Awards recognise the achievements of undergraduates from lower socio-economic backgrounds who have “demonstrated great resilience, determination or initiative, or boosted their employability in innovative ways.”

“upReach offers a really good service,” said Sophie. “Gemma and I talk over skype, she helped me with my CV and doing mock interview and mentored me throughout the whole application process.

upReach partners with top employers like the Civil Service, the Wellcome Trust, Unilever and PWC, who offer insight days, work experience opportunities and mentors for students.

With Gemma’s support, Sophie got a coveted Civil Service Fast Stream internship, but decided instead to take an internship at her local council, Harrogate, because it fitted better with her passion for sustainability. Her role was to update the Council’s carbon reduction strategy.

“It was really interesting and very good experience. It made me realise that in the long term I want a job that also allows me to get out of the office sometimes, and to do something practical.”

Gemma, who is a University Partnership Manager at upReach was so ‘blown away by Sophie’s determination, passion and resilience’ that she nominated Sophie for the upReach award.

“When Sophie joined the upReach programme she was on a semester abroad in Canada, so much of the start of our relationship was conducted over Skype very early in the morning (for her) so that we could make the time difference work! However, she was determined to get a summer internship and we worked together to ensure she had some options!

“Sophie has always impressed me with her proactiveness in her own development and sets her own standards for what success looks like. Whilst studying for her A levels Sophie was unwell and spent four months away from college which impacted her results. However, Sophie has not let this hold her back. Upon arriving at Lancaster University, she has excelled academically.”

The award is only the latest in a series of prizes Sophie has won during her time at Lancaster, where she has split her course almost equally between human and physical geography. She has also won: The Arthur Hunter Prize for the best undergraduate performance by a Part 1 student studying a BA honours degree in the Lancaster Environment Centre; The Lola Dalton prize for obtaining the highest overall mark for French; The Women into Science Accolade (Ede and Ravenscroft prize) for outstanding female academic performance in STEM-related subjects.

Sophie has now succeeded in getting another coveted internship with Voluntary Services Overseas working in Nepal, either on Earthquake relief or on women’s rights. It’s been postponed because of Coronavirus but she hopes to go next year: it will be her first time visiting a developing country.

Lancaster has offered Sophie lots of firsts. Her study abroad year in Canada was the first time she had been away from home for an extended period.

“It was an amazing experience. They had a very good development and natural hazards course, and a good course about the Arctic. I learnt to ski, the sort of thing I had never had the opportunity to do before.”

She also learnt Lacrosse in her first year at Lancaster and became part of the university team.

Sophie now hopes to stay on at Lancaster to do a masters in Environment and Development. She is particularly interested in natural hazards and disaster management, a passion she developed at Lancaster. She’s been offered a scholarship from the Faculty of Science and Technology to help pay her costs but is still looking for further funding.

“I have no doubt that Sophie will go on to continue to push herself and achieve incredible things past University," Gemma says.

Lancaster University is one of upReach’s eight core University Partners: the charity now supports more than 70 Lancaster students a year across a range of programmes.