FROM PARK HILL TO OXFORD
This October, I begin my part-time MSc in Software Engineering at the University of Oxford, with a place at Jesus College and an Aziz Foundation Scholarship. Alhamdulillah.
It has been quite a journey.
I arrived in the UK as a teenage refugee with my mother and four younger siblings. We came hoping for safety and the chance to rebuild our lives. After moving between temporary hostels and accommodation, we eventually settled in Park Hill Flats, Sheffield, in the early 2000s.
Life there was far from easy. Racial abuse, crime and violence were part of daily life. I remember rocks being thrown through our windows, being beaten and spat at, and wondering what I had done to deserve such hatred. I witnessed things no child should ever have to see.
On one occasion, a bag filled with heavy glass items was thrown from above as I walked home. It grazed my shoulder and shattered just centimetres from my head.It happened beneath a bridge bearing the spray-painted words, “I love you, will you marry me”, a declaration with its own heartbreaking history.
At school, I was still learning English. My teachers did their best in a deeply disadvantaged environment, but I left without a single GCSE. For a long time, I believed education simply wasn't for someone like me.
Finding my way back to education
Factory work followed. The long shifts helped pay the bills, but I wanted a better future for my family.
So I returned to education, starting with Entry Level literacy and numeracy. Year after year, I went back to college, slowly building the qualifications and confidence I had once thought were beyond my reach.
In 2020, after another four years at university, I graduated with First-Class Honours in Electronic and Electrical Engineering, becoming the first in my family to complete a degree.It was a moment of immense pride and gratitude to Allah. I had reached somewhere I once struggled even to imagine.
Aim for the Crème
Shortly after graduating, I met a successful property developer who owned several buildings near the city centre. He offered me a job, and I asked him a question: “If you could give me just one piece of advice, what would it be?”
His answer was simple. “Mohammed. Aim for la crème.”
He explained that we should set ambitious goals and pursue opportunities worthy of our effort, rather than settling for breadcrumbs.Until then, I had spent much of my life working hard simply to survive. His words challenged me to think differently about what I might achieve.
For me, aiming higher wasn't about prestige. It was about supporting my family, developing my abilities and making a greater contribution to others.
Dr Matt Williams at Jesus College also helped reshape my understanding of what was possible. His video, Live Your Dreams Now, encouraged me to reflect on the pressure people from disadvantaged backgrounds can feel to pursue the most competitive route simply to prove themselves.
As my family's sole provider, I needed an opportunity that would allow me to continue working while studying. A part-time MSc offered that possibility.I submitted just two applications: one for an MSc at Oxford and another for a scholarship from the Aziz Foundation.
By the grace of Allah, both were successful.
But I nearly walked away.
When Opportunity Becomes Reality
Even with an Oxford offer, I couldn't see how I would afford to study.
When I didn't hear from the Aziz Foundation within the expected timeframe, I feared my scholarship application had been unsuccessful. I was preparing to withdraw from the course when the interview invitation arrived.
I began to wonder whether all of this simply wasn't meant for someone with my background. Then came the scholarship offer.I called my wife so we could read the news together. We struggled to hold back our tears.
Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah.
The Foundation had turned an unaffordable dream into an achievable reality.I remain deeply grateful for the kindness and encouragement of the team, from answering my questions to supporting me throughout the interview process.
I thought of my parents' sacrifices and duas, my wife's unwavering support, and the teachers, mentors and friends who had encouraged me along the way.None of this would have been possible without the help of Allah.I pray that I can use this opportunity to benefit Muslim communities and wider society through technology.
Black History Month: Merit, Racism and Opportunity
As a Black Muslim, I want Black History Month to celebrate ambition, achievement and contribution alongside the struggles we must never forget.I want younger people to see stories like mine and recognise possibilities they might otherwise have ruled out.
Racism and Islamophobia have hurt me deeply, but I refuse to let them determine the limits of my ambition or my willingness to work hard.My experiences have also made me reflect on a question I often hear:
“Shouldn't opportunity be based on merit, rather than the colour of your skin or your background?”
Of course merit matters. But there is an important distinction between ability and the opportunity to demonstrate it.Grades and achievements reflect effort and talent, but also access to good teaching, financial security and a safe environment in which to learn.
Applying identical selection criteria does not necessarily erase unequal starting conditions. Neither skin colour nor hardship automatically establishes merit. Equally, ignoring the effects of racism, poverty and displacement risks overlooking extraordinary potential.
Fair assessment should consider achievement in context, while recognising an individual's ability to succeed.My own journey illustrates this distinction.With Allah's help, I had already graduated with First-Class Honours and secured my Oxford offer before receiving the Aziz Foundation Scholarship.
The Foundation recognised the work I had already put in and removed the financial barrier preventing me from taking up my place.My experiences have also shown me why ambition must be matched by practical support.
We need schools funded according to need, accessible adult education, meaningful financial assistance and institutions that take discrimination seriously.People returning to education deserve a route forward, regardless of how long their journey has taken.
Dare to Dream
To anyone who feels they are losing hope, I want to ask:
How can we expect others to believe in us if we do not first give ourselves permission to believe?
Allow yourself the ambition that others might call unrealistic. Give it substance through preparation, consistent effort, strong faith and the courage to ask for help.You do not need to feel confident every day to keep moving forward.
Apply. Give yourself a chance. Do not reject yourself before anyone else has even considered you.Your worth does not depend on an acceptance letter, a prestigious university or someone else's opinion.
Aim for the crème.
Never hand anyone else the power to decide how much you are worth. And let us make Black History Month a living, breathing celebration of Black potential, achievement and the courage to dream.
Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah.