Arpita Chowdhury (English 2021) jokes she has long felt like a chosen one. Her experience in the London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony and on a school visit to Gonville & Caius College contribute to the feeling.

Arpita is proud to be from Newham, east London. She attended Essex Primary School, Plashet School for secondary, and Brampton Manor Academy for her A-Levels.

While at Essex Primary, she was chosen to take part in the NHS segment of the London 2012 opening ceremony, devised by Danny Boyle.

“There were probably 1000 children for the segment, and we were given all our bibs – I was number one! I felt like the chosen one,” says Arpita, who was in Year 4 at the time.

“Even though we were young, it felt like being given responsibility to be part of something so big. We couldn’t even tell our parents about it all!”

While in Year 10 at Plashet School, Arpita visited Caius – Newham is a link area for Caius as part of the University of Cambridge’s outreach scheme – and, cheekily, rang the dinner gong in Hall.

“I have a conspiracy theory: me and two of my friends were cheeky and hit the gong in the Caius Hall. All three of us received Oxbridge offers, so I am convinced that gong has magical powers,” she adds.

And at Brampton, Arpita followed in the footsteps of others who advanced to Cambridge or Oxford.

She says: “My school created a mindset that if you worked hard, you’d have a good shot. There were so many role models in the older years from similar backgrounds. It made me feel like I could do it as well.

“When I received my Caius offer, I looked back at pictures and saw I was here for the visit. It felt like it was fate.”

Arpita is a Caius access ambassador, supporting visiting tour groups, open days and access programmes. She is keen to challenge the stereotypes and use her experience of both home and Cambridge to appeal to others. She is the Gonville & Caius Students’ Union Women’s and Non-Binary Officer and the Vice President of the Gonville & Caius Feminist and Gender Society. She is also the Vice President of Cambridge Brown Girl Link Up, a Cambridge-wide society for South Asian women and non-binary people.

“I really liked growing up in east London. It’s really diverse, a cultural hotspot and it gave me opportunities,” she adds.

“From the outside looking in Cambridge can be so daunting. I worked so hard to receive my offer, but once I received it I was terrified. This is a drastically different environment and I didn’t know if I would fit in.

Cambridge isn’t about fitting in, because the University is shaped by the people.

“Now I’ve come here I realised Cambridge isn’t about fitting in, because the University is shaped by the people. There’s a stereotype, but it’s so outdated. And unless you see people who look like you and speak to people who come from similar backgrounds, that stereotype is fixed.

“Doing this access work I emphasise you can get in, it is possible and you would have a good time. It’s just taking the step to actually apply and commit to the application process. It’s so worth it.

“I hope if people continue applying it will be a more comfortable environment for everyone.”

Arpita is grateful to her elder sister, Annona, and mother and father, first generation immigrants from Bangladesh, for their support.

She adds: “My parents moved here so we could achieve what they couldn’t. Moving to a new country and leaving your family behind is a big sacrifice. It was really important I could work hard and make my parents’ sacrifices worth it.

“My sister went down the STEM line (at Queen Mary University), and it was definitely unconventional for me to choose English. My mum said you can do whatever you’re passionate about, just be the best at it.

“English was once my weakest subject. I put more energy into it and it became my passion and my strongest subject. Now I’m at Cambridge, my mum is happy!

“There’s a convention to become a doctor or an engineer. Going to Cambridge helped a lot to defeat that stereotype, at least in my community.”

Arpita says the Caius English students enjoy good relationships across the year groups, academically and socially, and she enjoys the Cambridge-wide perspective from the Brown Girl Link Up society and other cultural societies in the university.

“Focusing on a college it can be hard to see the diversity. By collaborating you can see how diverse Cambridge is and you can find a platform to celebrate your culture.

“If you have concerns, you can be the change.”