Kawtar
‘Your difference is your power. Only you have your attributes’
Kawtar’s story
I was born in Italy but my parents are from Morocco. I came to the UK in year 8. I’m at school at the moment and I eventually hope to become a doctor.
I’m attracted to the ethics of medicine. I like the idea that you get to help people. You’re not just living for yourself – you’re living to help others.
Having said this, saying that I want to be something is limiting. There are so many jobs out there, so many purposes. That’s my main goal – to live a life with purpose, not just to live for the sake of living.
I enjoy my environment. I like the fact that school is shaping me – mentally and spiritually. There are people at my school who have different backgrounds and pasts and I’m learning from those experiences.
Regardless of where I end up, I’d like to work in an place where everyone is close and working towards the same target. I’d also like my employer to recognise that I have life outside of work. I have aspirations for the future that don’t all revolve around my job. I want to have a family, and I want flexibility and balance.
If I was running a company I would change the way people are recruited to try to attract different people to apply. But I think it goes further than that. The education system needs to inspire young people to embrace their differences and use them as a strength. Your difference is your power. Only you have your attributes.
I want to see the world. Two weeks’ holiday for the year is not enough. I want to see people from different backgrounds and learn from them. It humbles you seeing how different people live.
Kawtar is studying for her A-levels at school in London.
