Mentoring with Mosaic

Having thoroughly enjoyed her GCSE and A Level studies, Saira knew she wanted to continue her religious education through to undergraduate level and after visiting several universities, Saira decided that the Religion, Culture and Society course at UCLan really stood out.

Saira says: “Studying Religion, Culture and Society has introduced me to a wealth of knowledge that has allowed me to understand that this field isn’t just about religion. It is also about how religion and belief systems have had an impact on the economy, politics and education systems.

"This course has really encouraged me to develop a career in working with young people. Studying this degree hugely impacted my life both academically and personally.”

After graduating the course with first class honours, Saira decided to go on to study a Masters in Religion, Culture and Society at UCLan.

Alongside her degree, Saira also works as a mentor for the Princes Trust charity, Mosaic. This role involves engaging and inspiring young people from deprived communities to realise their talents and potential, in order to assist them in closing the gap between their attainment and aspirations.

Saira says travelling to Istanbul as part of her studies will be a lasting memory of her time at UCLan. “This trip introduced me to one of the most spiritual and beautiful cities in Europe and Asia.”

She also enjoyed representing the student body of UCLan at the Muslims in Britain Conference held at UCLan.

Following her studies, Saira has been accepted to travel to Bosnia with charity, Remembering Srebrenica, to enhance her knowledge on the Bosnian Genocide.

When advising prospective students, Saira says: “If you have a real passion to study a particular subject or course, don’t let anyone or anything tell you different. It is only through education that we can make the world a much better, safer place to live in."

She continued: “The students of today are the future leaders and role models for the young people of tomorrow and we should all work hard and pursue our dreams in order to set a good example for those looking up to us.”