Former Telford College student Margarita Donkoh Lockner is to be celebrated at this summer’s Student Social Mobility Awards for overcoming adversity and achieving exceptional accomplishments in their studies and beyond.
Hosted at London’s Mansion House, the awards celebrate undergraduates for their academic excellence, dedication to social mobility, outstanding career accomplishment and remarkable achievement.
Margarita, currently studying Civil Engineering at the University of Bath, has been shortlisted for the ‘Science Sector’ award. This prize recognises outstanding achievement in pursuing a career within Science and Engineering while at university.
She thrived on her Telford College A level courses, achieving A* grades in both maths and further maths, plus an A in her extended project, and B in physics.
Margarita, from Hadley, faced a number of barriers when entering higher education. Being raised by a migrant family and growing up in a rural community with limited access to STEM resources, she learned about the importance of hard work and seeking out opportunities.
As a result, she developed a strong sense of self-reliance and the determination to learn independently. Despite these challenges, she is proud of several notable achievements. One of the most impactful experiences was designing and implementing a framework for regenerative design in civil engineering education, which she then tested in a student workshop.
This framework was not only designed to help academic institutions embed regenerative design principles in academia but also to inspire engineers to think beyond sustainability and become positive changemakers.
Margarita said: “Winning at the Student Social Mobility Awards would be an experience to remember. It would serve as an immersive validation of my journey where I can acknowledge the effort I have put in, the barriers I have managed to overcome, and the self-reliance I have cultivated over the years.
“This recognition would inspire me to push even further in my academic and professional pursuits, empowering me to continue seeking out new challenges and opportunities to contribute meaningfully to society. Furthermore, winning the award would allow me to inspire others, especially those from similar backgrounds to mine.
“Having personally overcome the challenges faced by someone from a migrant family, I am happy to demonstrate what is possible to motivate others to achieve their own academic and professional aspirations.”
