From Open Day Inspiration to Award-Winning Deaf Advocate - Esmail's story

Esmail, who is deaf, visited The University of Central Lancashire as he knew he wanted to go to University but wasn’t entirely sure what he’d study. He thought that visiting the Preston campus on an Open Day would be the perfect opportunity for him to get a feel of what student life might look like as well as explore different course options. He decided that doing a Foundation Year would give him the “opportunity to try a variety of courses before choosing” what he wanted to study.

By doing this, Esmail discovered the Business Information Systems course, which was perfect for him. Having a pre-existing passion for business, he found the course had “great, balanced support which developed” his focus.

After graduating in 2006, Esmail worked in a range of fields. From being a local Intelligence Police Officer to teaching Maths, English and Business in a college, all whilst completing a Post Graduate Diploma in Education.

After completing his postgraduate qualification, Esmail worked as a National Project Leader for a deaf charity and was also a public speaker for organisations such as BBC Radio, BBC TV, ITV, and Channel 4. Additionally, he collaborated with more than 2,000 colleges and universities, offering educational events for the Deaf community. Esmail also set up his own company, Deaf Education Advocacy Fellowship (DEAF), where he worked to set up projects in collaboration with governments in the Middle East.

Esmail currently works as Sales Director at Interpreting Solutions 2UK. His role entails ensuring the smooth running of the sales team and that high quality services are delivered nationally and across the world. He also teaches British Sign Language qualifications. This, alongside his work with a variety of projects alongside the National Citizen Services (NCS), Greater Manchester Police and the BBC, to name a few, means Esmail is in demand.

To date, Esmail has received a total of 32 awards for his work so far. His most recent of which is winning the Islamic Education Award in recognition of providing an international educational programme in the Middle East.

There have been many moments in his career which Esmail is proud of. These include being interviewed on BBC ‘s ‘See Hear’, where he discussed how his business became successful, and being featured in over 50,000 newspapers, magazines, and online articles whereby he represented the Deaf community and discussed his achievements.

When asked if he has advice for prospective students, Email said: “Follow your heart to the right career path. Nothing is impossible, and I am an example that it is possible for everyone to achieve whatever they want to.”