Stormzy offers two more Cambridge scholarships to black students
STORMZY HAS offered two more black students a scholarship at Cambridge.
The Vossi Bop hitmaker’s programme was launched last year to encourage people of all backgrounds to strive for the best education possible.
And now the 26-year-old grime star has announced he’s set to cover the fees for two more people this year to study at the prestigious University of Cambridge.
He said: “There are so many young black kids all over the country who have the level of academic excellence to study at a university such as Cambridge – however, we are still under represented at leading universities.
“We, as a minority, have so many examples of black students who have excelled at every level of education throughout the years.
“I hope this scholarship serves as a small reminder that if young black students wish to study at one of the best universities in the world, then the opportunity is yours for the taking – and if funding is one of the barriers, then we can work towards breaking that barrier down.”
The Crown hitmaker has funded the study out of his own pocket, but is looking into other ways to keep the scholarship going.
However, his contribution doesn’t stop with providing monetary support, as he has also been following the students’ progress.
INSPIRATION
The University of Cambridge’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stephen Toope, said: “Stormzy is an inspiration, not just for his music but for his engagement on social issues and encouragement of young people.
“He has achieved great success in his career, but recognises that this was at the expense of his studies and the option of a place at a top university. “He wants to inspire talented young black people who have their sights set on university to follow their dreams.
“The scholarships are a beacon for black students who might otherwise have felt they could not come to Cambridge.”
Stormzy – whose real name is Michael Owuo Jr. – admitted he had set his sights on studying at Cambridge or the equally highly regarded University of Oxford when he was at school, but then “diverted” to a music career instead.
He said: “I diverted and ended up doing music, so it didn’t happen for me. I thought I was quite a rare case in that I knew that was possible.”
To be eligible for entry, applicants must be of black ethnicity and have an unconditional offer to study at the university.
Meanwhile, Stormzy previously claimed Oxford turned down his scholarship.
He said: “We tried Oxford but they didn’t want to get involved ... so I’m throwing them under the bus now.”
The scholarships are a beacon for black students who might otherwise have felt they could not come to Cambridge.