MEET OUR TEAM
Our team are a fantastic bunch. Push presenters are talented, engaging, funny and, critically, well-informed. They all undertake a thorough and on-going training programme, meaning they're always clued-up on the latest developments in higher education, employability...and they've professional training in performance. The rest of our team, who keep the Push outreach engine well-greased, are wonderful too, and we couldn't do what we do without them. All our team have an enhanced DBS.
JOHNNY RICH
Founder and CEO Johnny is a consultant in higher education and careers of 25 years' experience. His clients include the European Commission, HEFCE (now OFS), HEPI, the OFS, Oxford University, and global HE comparison tool U-Multirank. Since founding Push in 1992, Johnny has built it into an influential social enterprise providing information, advice and research about choices and employability. Push runs an award-winning programme of outreach and staff training events that visits 100s of schools and colleges each year. Johnny was also a Director of the Higher Education Academy (now Advance HE). As a contributor to various think tanks and strategy bodies, Johnny contributes widely to policy debates on education, careers, wider participation and social mobility - including spearheading projects on school-leaver recruitment and on work-related learning. With degrees from the Universities of Durham and East Anglia, he is also Chief Executive of the Engineering Professors’ Council: the voice of engineering in UK higher education. and appears regularly on television and radio and is author of the highly acclaimed novel The Human Script. Want to see Johnny's 90 Second Guides on revision, study skills, student finance and more? One thing I wish I could tell my younger self about making a choice at 18: "It would have been helpful if someone had told me that 'catered accommodation’ would not mean a guaranteed, balanced diet within my budget. I ended up living on choccy Hobnobs and black coffee." |
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IBRAHIM FAROUK SESAY
presenter Ibrahim graduated from the University of Kent, after previously studying at the BRIT School London. As well as being a Push speaker, he is an actor, stand up comedian, inclusive theatre practitioner for Shed in London, and a sketch writer. He has also been a regular facilitator for NCS and currently delivers workshops at Brent Youth Theatre in London for multiple age groups. He often jokes about how many things he is doing at any one time but says "I'm basically being paid to do the things I love". Ibs had the opportunity to study at two different unis in two different continents, which he feels gave him a wealth of experience when discussing the wonderful variety of education and course options with teenagers. He hopes his experience and passion will help young people make informed and educated decisions about what they want to do in the future, based on personal wellbeing and living each day with vigour. One thing I wish I could tell my younger self about making a choice at 18: "The chance to study abroad would not of happened if it wasn’t for the impartial help of my careers advisors and teachers (which boosted my own research and my thinking): these people are human beings who have been through the same stresses as you at your age...but they can only help you if you're willing to open up to them about your hopes, fears and dreams." |
LORNA SHAW
presenter Lorna is an actor, writer and comedian based in London. She performs regularly on the stand-up circuit (and at the Edinburgh Fringe) and her sketch comedy has been heard on BBC Radio 4. She has also been a finalist in the Funny Women and Musical Comedy Awards and performed sell-out shows to critical acclaim at the Edinburgh fringe with duo That Pair who's 2013 show transferred to the Soho Theatre in 2014. She is part of the leading improv school, The Free Association, performing regularly on their in-house teams, My Brother Jose and the Ladies of FA County. Her website is lornashawcomedy.com. One thing I wish I could tell my younger self about making a choice at 18: "I wish someone had told me that I don't have to panic and take the first thing that comes along! Whether that's a university place or a job or an apprenticeship. Be choosy and ask lots of questions. Also, if you make the wrong choice, you're one step closer to knowing what you actually want to do." |
STEPHEN BRADLEY
presenter Stephen is from Derry, Northwest Ireland and is an actor based in London. He was a student of the Guildford School of Acting, where he received a BA in Acting on graduation. He has worked in both Theatre and Film/TV across Ireland and the UK. His main love in life, after performing, is putting BBQ sauce on anything. He is an avid messenger of the idea of doing what you love, and loving what you do. When he is not eating BBQ sauce or performing, he is doing yoga, drinking tea or reading a book (sometimes all three at the same time). Want to see Stephen's 90 Second Guides on interview tips and your choices? One thing I wish I could tell my younger self about making a choice at 18: "I wished I’d known that at 18 I didn't have to have it all figured out! If I’d allowed myself room to breathe and found out more about what made me tick then I’d have gone to Uni more rounded than I did. Give. Yourself. TIME" |
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GUY REYNOLDS
Presenter Guy is a graduate of Cardiff University with a BA in Ancient History and an MA in Ancient and Medieval Warfare. He was the first person in his family that went into postgraduate study after securing his undergraduate degree. Guy’s plan is to gain his doctorate and spend his life studying increasingly niche areas of history. Guy has lots of experience working with wild animals, from Falconry Centres to Wetherspoons, and he loves anything to do with books. One thing I wish I could tell myself at 18: Don’t be afraid of making mistakes – its one of the best things you can do in life and the easiest way to learn and grow. And talking of mistakes: get rid of the ponytail. .
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ANISHA MINOCHA
UNDERGRADUATE Student ambassador Anisha is studying English and Spanish at the University of St Andrews. She is a passionate writer and poet whose work has been published in anthologies, magazines, blogs and won competitions. Contributing to Sink Magazine, she is keen to utilize the voice of young people and share work through her creative writing blog. As a climate activist, she has combined her love for words and the planet in a performance of spoken word at the Royal Exchange Theatre in 'Letters to the Earth'. She also co-runs Young Friends of the Earth: Manchester and has organised workshops, participated in panels and spoken at Manchester Cathedral. What would you tell to other uk students about their wellbeing through school?: It’s important to look after your wellbeing at all times, and not just when your particularly stressed and anxious like exam season. If you get into the habit of looking after yourself it becomes easier when you need balance and focus the most! |
Charlotte Ward
Editorial and media trainee As a neurodivergent, LGBT+ person with an underclass upbringing, Charlotte relates deeply to Push’s mission statement and avidly supports any cause that strives towards breaking the barriers of educational inequalities for disadvantaged youths across the UK. Having started their higher education at BSU, studying Film and Screen Studies, they soon found the vast differences in the socioeconomic backgrounds between them and their peers to be somewhat of a culture shock, which massively shaped their worldview. They dropped out and started their professional career in early childhood education, before returning as a mature student at the Open University to study Psychology. Their lived experiences, which included being the first in their family to enter higher education, encouraged them to develop more of an active interest in social inequalities, particularly educational inequalities, and it is with Push that they aim to combine this with their passion for digital media and content creation to promote its message where possible. Their plan is to continue their formal education to allow them to explore opportunities in academic research and practice, specifically in clinical psychology and its applications in integrated health care and public policy. In their spare time they enjoy researching deeply into their latest hyperfixation and infodumping about it to whoever will listen, as well as dabbling with their numerous hobbies and interests as they come and go. One thing I wish I could tell my younger self about making a choice at 18: Don’t make any major life decisions based on what you think you should be doing, or what other people are doing. That goes for any decision actually. If you live your life based on the pressures or expectations others place on you, then you won’t feel as though your life is your own which makes it easier to lose sense of who you are and what you really want. Being able to wait and make more informed decisions will serve you better in the long run. |
Tiffany Igharoro
Year 11 Student Ambassador Tiffany is a student in Y11 preparing to take her GCSE's next year. Two of her favourite subjects are physics and math which she hopes to study for A levels and maybe at uni. One of her favourite pastimes is writing as it helps her organise her thoughts creatively and dynamically. She has won awards and prizes for poetry, academic and scientific writing and short stories. Recently, she won a nationwide historical essay competition that opened her eyes to the importance of how things are told, and the impact ordinary people have on the world. She is also studying art GCSE and believes there is something incredible about finding links between drama, art and maths. The best piece of advice I have for my fellow Y10/Y11s is to do what you love. Work hard in school, listen in class, be kind to others but most importantly be kind to yourself. There's no denying that GCSEs can be stressful so it's important that everyone takes the time to do the things that make them happy. |
JAKE EVANS
Editorial and media trainee Jake recently graduated with a BA in Film and Television Studies with Media and Communication Studies. He used his time at University to uncover and learn how his skills could be used throughout the media industry. As an enthusiastic writer, Jake also began producing film reviews that were published on a local movie website while completing his course, combining his passion for film and his writing aspirations. One thing I wish I could tell myself at 18 about making a choice: Do not be afraid to put yourself out there. The experiences that come with being more open, for yourself and for others, are not to be passed up on. Ask plenty of questions to really narrow down the path that is right for you. |
Minna DaviEs
Presenter Minna is a comedy writer and performer who studied Theatre for her Undergraduate degree at the University of York and went on to complete a Masters degree in Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Minna comes from a creative family and has been performing in one sense or another all her life writing poetry, songs and plays since the age of 8. More recently, Minna has written sketches, a dark comedy TV pilot and a monologue play shortlisted for an opportunity with In Good Company theatre company. Minna volunteers with the Notts LGBT+ Switchboard, a resource for the Queer people of Nottingham. Outside of work, Minna can usually be found watching the newest TV comedy or drama series - Minna is a self-confessed TV nerd. What I wish I'd known when I left school What I wish I'd known when I left school is that the decisions you make when you're 17 or 18 are not binding for the rest of your life! Life is long and unpredictable and you have the agency to do whatever you want with it - it's never too late to start doing what you love. |