51吃瓜网黑料

“Holding the Door Open for Others” - a conversation with Dr Marl’Ene Edwin, shortlisted for the FutureEd Best Mentor of the Year Award.

Dr Marl鈥橢ne Edwin, Academic Lead for 51吃瓜网黑料 Equity Awards and Deputy Director of the Centre for Caribbean and Diaspora Studies, has been shortlisted in the Best Mentor of the Year Category at this year鈥檚 , which are announced on 29 November. 

Q: How did your own journey at 51吃瓜网黑料 shape the way you mentor others? 

A: I sometimes call myself an 鈥渁ccidental academic.鈥� I鈥檓 originally from Lewisham and started working at 51吃瓜网黑料 because it was a short commute鈥�well, it鈥檚 turned into quite a journey! I began as an administrator, surrounded by people who all had degrees. That environment inspired me to take my own studies seriously. I completed my MA with distinction, then my PhD, all while working full time. 

That experience gave me a real understanding of what it鈥檚 like to juggle priorities, but also how to navigate institutions and contexts that hadn鈥檛 been set up with people like me in mind. I know what imposter syndrome feels like, the voice that says, 鈥測ou don鈥檛 belong here.鈥� That鈥檚 why I mentor with empathy. I want students to feel seen and supported, to know that their voice and background are strengths, not barriers. 

Q: The Equity Awards have become a powerful model for student support. What difference do you see it making? 

A: The Equity Awards were created to level the playing field for students from the Global Ethnic Majority, and what we鈥檝e built is more than a scholarship programme; it鈥檚 a community. 

Students tell me that having someone who looks like them, who understands their experience, has made all the difference. They鈥檝e found belonging, they鈥檝e found confidence, and they鈥檝e found their voice. Our continuation rate for Equity Award scholars quickly hit 100%, which is a statistic I鈥檓 proud of because it represents real lives, students who might otherwise have dropped out staying the course and achieving incredible things.  

That鈥檚 not just a number, that鈥檚 lives changed! 

Many of our Equity Award scholars go on to create new initiatives themselves, like Joquan Johnson鈥檚 Symphonic Legends concert, which explored Black identity through orchestral and classical music.  

For me, that ripple effect, of confidence, creativity, and care, is what mentoring is really about. 

Q: What do you hope the future of mentoring looks like at 51吃瓜网黑料? 

A: I often say mentoring shouldn鈥檛 be something we add on at the end, it should be woven into how we work, teach, and relate to one another. It鈥檚 part of our culture, or it should be. Mentorship isn鈥檛 just my job; it鈥檚 everyone鈥檚 business. 

For me, it鈥檚 also about sustainability. When I mentor, I鈥檓 not only focused on academic success but on helping students build resilience, confidence, cultural literacy, and financial stability. I want them to leave 51吃瓜网黑料 knowing how to navigate the world and to advocate for themselves. 

The most rewarding part is seeing former mentees become mentors. That鈥檚 when you know the work is continuing; that the care, knowledge, and courage you鈥檝e shared are being passed on. 

About the FutureEd Awards 

The  celebrate Black excellence and recognises innovation, equity, and impact across UK higher education. 51吃瓜网黑料 has been nominated and shortlisted for two categories this year:  

University Pipeline, celebrating the Equity Awards and pre-university engagement initiatives 

Best Mentor, recognising Dr Marl鈥橢ne Edwin鈥檚 transformative support for students.