Thinking Partners

Established in 2018 to support our black student community

The network, led by Alix Hanson, offers our black student cohort the following benefits:

One-to-one sessions
Peer-to-peer sessions
Group sessions with students across courses
Personalised support between sessions

Thinking Partners empowers students to achieve optimal educational outcomes and enhance their overall student experience. By joining the network, black students can connect with one another, facilitating the development of vital skills such as leadership, creativity, resourcefulness, collaboration, problem-solving and resilience. This has a positive influence on their university life and beyond.

Through supportive sessions that encourage individuals to question, explore, access opportunities, and develop solutions, participants from various courses can collaborate with others at different stages of their journey, learning from their peers while pursuing academic and professional excellence.

The programme is highly specialised, catering to the unique academic and technical needs of this cohort. Within Thinking Partners, students work with qualified coaches who help them achieve their personal best, nurturing their ideas and championing their growth. They also engage with a range of stakeholders who possess the expertise to support them, from the start of university through to graduation.

Below are some interviews and testimonials given by Thinking Partners alum.

Person smiling in front of sparkly background with some pink lettering — **Kari Mohamed**

The thing I enjoy most about Thinking Partners is connecting with people like me. It has contributed to my overall experience of student life and has been helpful in many ways because it is flexible in terms of the support offered. It is very enriching working exclusively with black students across disciplines, and through it, I have learned how to be resourceful and to work smartly. I felt noticed, respected and valued in Thinking Partners when my coach helped me to resolve personal issues and I would love to have had even more sessions.

— Kari Mohamed - BA (Hons) Fashion Buying and Merchandising

Photo of Millie — **BA (Hons) Fashion Buying and Merchandising**

I joined Thinking Partners in my final year, after returning from a one-year work placement at ASOS. By joining the network, I gained confidence in myself, enhanced my interpersonal skills and importantly, I learned how to strategically present myself within a business environment. I am now aware of the business market and how to competitively trade, I can network, liaise with different people and adapt to different scenarios. I feel it is important for LCF to be aware of issues affecting black students as this enables us to present ourselves and our work in an authentic manner, without the potential risk of being misunderstood or marginalised.

— Millie Sanyama - BA (Hons) Fashion Buying and Merchandising

Person with arms folded in front of a screen with text — **Kaya Levi**

After entering the Fashion Business School with a background in Art and Design, I achieved a high Upper Second Class degree in BA (Hons) Fashion Marketing. My three years at FBS equipped me with all the ingredients needed to complement my creative abilities. It also unlocked my academic research and writing skills. I achieved first-class grades for all my essays and my dissertation about fashion and the African Diaspora. After working in the fashion industry as a Fashion Marketing and Branding Consultant, I decided to further my research in this area. I have now been offered a place on the MSc Visual, Material and Museum Anthropology programme to study fashion anthropology at the University of Oxford, on a full Merit Oxford Graduate Scholarship. I look forward to embarking on postgraduate study and contributing to the world's number one ranked anthropology department.

— Kaya Levi - BA (Hons) Fashion Marketing

Picture of graduate, Shereen Chambers — **Shereen Chambers | MSc Cosmetic Science | London College of Fashion | UAL**

When I joined Thinking Partners, I realised there is support available, no matter how big or small the issue is. I also connected with others who have been through similar experiences and can offer guidance. As a result, I realised I can achieve anything I want – and no set back is permanent. Thinking Partners helped me think from alternative points of view and assess situations from different perspectives. I am increasingly determined and self-assured and I know that my goal is in sight.

— Shereen Chambers - MSc Cosmetic Science

Hannah Chiwenda

MA Global Fashion Retailing

Hayden Woodley-Gibson

BA (Hons) Fashion Marketing

The network

Feedback from students, tutors, parents and employers indicates that black students have a better experience when they join Thinking Partners. The network enables participants to engage, learn from and support one another, leading to valuable career-enhancing experiences.

Graduates of Thinking Partners have pursued postgraduate courses at top-ranking universities, secured graduate jobs in fields like buying, marketing, product development and data analytics, established their own businesses, or pursued teaching qualifications for careers in fashion education.

In Thinking Partners, black students are not seen as an 'ethnic minority,' 'BAME', 'non-traditional' or 'hard to reach'. Instead, they are recognised as subject experts with infinite potential for transformative experiences. The network fosters the creation of approaches that can challenge or influence established practices throughout the university, allowing for a more inclusive and supportive environment.

If you are a black student at Fashion Business School, London College of Fashion, and wish to join this coaching network, please reach out to the Programme Lead, Alix Hanson at: a.hanson@fashion.arts.ac.uk. While primarily aimed at undergraduates, eligible postgraduate students are welcome to participate.

Thinking Partners

Established in 2018 to support our black student community

The network

Student funding

London College of Fashion

Contact

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