Uptree

This Black History Month, the national theme is "Honouring Our Communities". At Uptree, we’re marking it by celebrating Black former Uptree students who have the courage to walk into a new space and represent their community.

Esther has done just that. She left a nursing degree to pursue law, without ever having met a lawyer. One Uptree insight day later, she secured a solicitor apprenticeship at Trowers & Hamlins. Today, she shows up skill-first, for herself and for everyone coming after her.

Esther grew up in South London, surrounded by people from almost every background. She didn't realise how rare that diversity was until she left her community. Her family worked in the NHS, several as nurses, so when it came to choosing a path after sixth form, nursing felt like the natural, practical choice. But one year after she began her paediatric nursing degree at King's College London, she realised her strengths lay elsewhere.

"Looking back, I've realised how much the environment you grow up in shapes where you go professionally. I never knew anyone who was a lawyer or who worked in the corporate space, whereas a lot of my family worked in the NHS as nurses. So I thought practically: which degree will help me earn as quickly as possible?"

Esther then made the difficult decision to leave university, determined to explore properly before committing again. After doing some research, she found Uptree. In December 2025, she walked into a law firm for the first time for an insight day. The day focused on preparing for assessment centres through simulated group tasks, which prepared her for her later assessment centre with

Trowers & Hamlins. Less than a year after leaving university, she had managed to secure a solicitor apprenticeship at the firm, which she names as her proudest achievement.

"I come from quite an economically deprived background, so being able to get that support from Uptree was really helpful. Going into a law firm and doing simulated tasks helped me work out whether I could see myself in an industry like this, whether I enjoyed the work and whether it was fulfilling. I can say 100% that the skills I developed in that one day helped me in my actual assessment centre at Trowers & Hamlins”.

Stepping into the legal profession brought a new kind of challenge. In the NHS and in the South London she grew up in, diversity was simply part of everyday life. At work, she is often one of very few Black people in the room. She noted that “coming into the legal profession, where changes are being made to encourage inclusivity but there's still a long way to go, was a big shift."

Joining Trowers & Hamlins' Black Heritage staff network, helped, as well as a conscious decision about how she carries herself. Esther highlighted that being the only Black person in a

room can often make you hyper-aware of how you may be presenting yourself. Her solution is to make sure that she represents herself and her background well in every room that she’s in. “I always make sure I show up with my skill first, my personality and demonstrate the kind of person I am, rather than overthinking the racial side of it."

This is Esther’s way of honouring her community. In a field where Black professionals are often underrepresented, simply entering the room takes courage. Staying there, doing excellent work and being fully yourself shows everyone watching that they’re able to enter that space as well. And in doing so, Esther has also found that inclusion at her firm goes beyond the words on its website. Even during her assessment centre, she was asked what she personally believed the benefit of diversity and inclusion to be. Her answer captures how she sees her own identity.

"Everyone, whatever their background, brings a unique perspective. Growing up as a Black woman in South London, the way I see the world and approach things is unique. Bringing that mindset with me is, in a way, honouring my community. If everybody thought the same, everyone would be doing the exact same things. When you have a diverse workforce, everybody brings their own ideas towards a common goal and that's the best way to go about things."

Esther also mentioned how she honours her community by giving back in practical ways. Since getting her apprenticeship, she has been sharing her story with school students in Southwark, many of whom don't know anyone in the industry. "One of the reasons I didn't pursue law at first was that I didn't know that there could be a space for me. Being able to go back, share the work we do and show students that anyone with an interest in law should pursue it is really important."

When asked who in her community she would most like to honour, Esther credits her mum for giving her the confidence to change direction when she was unsure whether nursing was right for her. Her own advice to other young Black students who feel uncertain about entering a new space is this:

"Talk to people. Go to events and speak to your peers and to people more senior than you, because everyone can help you with something. When you're early in your career and a Black professional, building a strong network is so helpful. And explore. If you're not curious about yourself and the professional world, you risk ending up in a career you don't enjoy. Be brave and be willing to go against the grain."