‘I want to be remembered as someone who was helpful’

After a varied career in the media, Sonita Alleyne made history last year as the first Black woman to lead an Oxbridge college.

Iwas born in Barbados, and came to the UK with my family when I was three. The reason my parents came here was education. The importance of learning was something they instilled in me. As a child, I loved going to the library in east London where we lived, and checking out as many books as I could. At school, my teachers were very encouraging. ‘You’re a promising writer,’ my English teacher once said to me. Spurred on, I applied to Cambridge to read philosophy. I remember having an amazing conversation with the woman who interviewed me. I left the room feeling desperate to get in.

I was thrilled to get a place, and had a brilliant three years at Cambridge. It was a very different world to the one I grew up in, but I found that exciting rather than intimidating. I loved my degree, although I can’t say I studied 24/7. There were lots of late nights and I got involved in everything, from the politics society to singing, as well as writing for the student magazine. I believed it was important to have a rounded university experience and I still stand by that.

My first job was in life insurance. I knew it wasn’t going to be my whole career, but it was a good experience. I learned how to cold-call, which came in handy when I realised I wanted to work in radio. I rang up Jazz FM and asked if they had a job for me. It wasn’t straight away, but I did end up working there.

At 24, I was made redundant, but I didn’t see this as a setback. Instead, I set up a radio production company called

Somethin’ Else with my former colleagues Jez Nelson and Chris Philips. It became successful and was a brilliant creative business to be a part of. After 18 years, I stepped down as CEO because I had a young son and felt it was time for a change.

I’ve always been interested in the big issues in society, so I’ve sat on a lot of boards over the course of my career. I was a non-executive director for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport for eight years and was on the National Employment Panel, too. Then, last year, I got an exciting phone call from a headhunter about the role of Master of Jesus College, Cambridge.

When I was appointed, I became the first Black woman to hold the post of Master in any Oxbridge college. That gives me a sense of responsibility, but I didn’t apply for the job hoping to make history. It wasn’t about that for me; it was about returning to Cambridge and being part of a community I loved.

This is a job I will have for 10 years. My role as Master is multi-faceted. I represent Jesus College within the university, attend dinners, ceremonies and graduations and make speeches. I look after the vision and direction of the college. I also have a great relationship with its students and I make sure I’m always approachable. I love to hear about their courses and their hopes for the future.

Over the next decade, I’ll meet many more students who will go on to do great things. I hope they remember me and think of me as someone who was helpful. Our university years are so formative and Cambridge has such a great legacy. It’s a privilege to be a part of that.

• jesus.cam.ac.uk

It’s a privilege to be part of a great legacy