‘It feels like coming home’: lawyer and equality rights champion Sandie Okoro OBE shares her memories of growing up and of Birmingham.
Growing up
I grew up in Balham in London in the late 1970s and 1980s. I was fascinated by TV courtroom drama Crown Court, I watched it most days after school. So, when my teacher asked my class what we wanted to be when we grew up, I said I wanted to be a judge. She told me ‘I’m sorry, Sandie, but little black girls from Balham don’t become judges.’ I decided, “Well, they will now; I’m going to do it”.
Choosing Birmingham – and getting onto the right course
I realised early on the importance of going to a very good university to study law, because it’s your foundation for how you analyse things and for developing your critical thinking. Birmingham was on my shortlist of universities because I knew it had a very good law school and as soon as I saw the beautiful campus I applied.
However, my teachers believed I wouldn’t get the grades for law, so I had to apply for politics instead. During Freshers’ Week, I met a student on the law and politics course, and he volunteered to introduce me to his tutor, Jeremy McBride. I’ll never forget that. Jeremy sat me down and I explained how my teacher didn’t think I could get the grades. He said: “That’s absolutely ridiculous - we only have 10 places in the law and politics course, but I’m creating an 11th one for you”.
He understood that the environment you’re in can affect how much you believe in yourself. So that’s why I love Birmingham, because if I had gone to another university, maybe they wouldn’t have allowed me to switch.
Funding my studies
I was on a full student grant from the government, but money was still tight. I worked at a gift shop in Putney (I was great at selling) and at a restaurant in Wandsworth (I was an atrocious waitress). I remember collecting my grant cheque each term from the beautiful Aston Webb Hall and then marching across the quadrangle past Old Joe for another term at the law fac.
Life in halls
I lived in Griffin Close in Northfield for my first two years and then in University House in my last year, which was fantastic. I was still late for lectures, even though they were just across the road.
When I first visited the Business School a couple of years ago, I visited my old room, which is now part of their offices. When you walk in the door, you still remember exactly where your bed was, your wardrobe, your desk; it brings back the memories straight away. And they had really good dinners at University House on Thursdays, I miss them!
My family connection to Birmingham
The University had given a lot not just to me – but to my family as well. Birmingham is the alma mater to three generations of the Okoros, my mum, me and my son.
My mum came here from Trinidad to study nursing at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on campus. She made such friends in Birmingham. She taught me that education is the key to a brighter future and, oftentimes, you need a lot of grit and determination. We can never take education for granted, but once we have it, it can never be taken away.
My son is studying criminology at the University and my goddaughter is studying law like I did - I told her Birmingham is one of the best places you can go. I’m going to get to see them both more and, best of all, I will get to give them their degrees when they graduate.
My goals as Chancellor
The University’s dedication to impactful research, its focus on creating an inclusive environment for talented, minority students and educational excellence are themes very close to my heart. I want my term as Chancellor to explore the intersectionality between the arts, the sciences, business and the law. I think there’s a tendency to compartmentalise things; business is one thing, law is another. But they’re all mixed up together in a wonderful way.
The two best pieces of advice I ever received
One of the best pieces of advice I have been given is not to get in my own way. You can talk yourself out of doing things, particularly when fantastic opportunities come that you might think are too great for you. It’s very easy to tell yourself all the reasons why you shouldn’t do it; give yourself just one reason why you should.
The other piece of advice was given to me by Baroness Helena Kennedy, who was one of my heroines as a lawyer. We’re now friends, but the first time I met her, I was terribly nervous. I asked her if she had any advice for me so I could build a career like hers; she told me: “Always say yes”. If someone gives you an opportunity you want, but you feel you can’t do it, say yes, because you will surprise yourself. People don’t ask you to do things to watch you fail. They see something in you that you cannot see in yourself yet.
Are you in this picture of Sandie’s class?
Sandie would love to hear from you. Email the alumni office and let us know!
We are so pleased to have Sandie as our Chancellor and look forward to seeing how our University community will benefit.