Student shortlisted for Wolverhampton Young Citizen of the Year

Sixth Form student Haya shortlisted for Wolverhampton Young Citizen of the Year Awards

Wolverhampton Grammar School is thrilled to announced that Sixth Form student Haya has been shortlisted for the prestigious Wolverhampton Young Citizen of the Year Awards.  She met the judging panel in July and will  attend the Awards Ceremony in September. This accolade highlights her immense dedication to charity and community service, which she balances alongside her academic pursuits.

Haya’s nomination is a reflection of her incredible dedication to youth leadership, student wellbeing, and social change. At WGS, she plays a key role as:

• Mental Health and Diversity Champion
• Head of Student Voice
• Charity Committee Member

Beyond school, Haya is making a city-wide impact as a Youth Leader at Change Makers and a Youth Advisory Board Member for the Youth Endowment Fund.

This recognition follows the success of Sachi, another WGS student, who won the same award last year. A proud moment for the WGS community once again.

We wish Haya the very best of luck!

Haya's Journey in her own wordss

My journey has taken me across countries, cultures, and systems — from Slovakia to England, from isolation to inclusion, from silence to speaking up. It’s a story about finding identity, learning the language of mental health, and finally discovering the strength of community.

I was raised in Slovakia, where diversity wasn’t something you saw often, and certainly not something that was spoken about or embraced. As someone of mixed heritage, with a Sudanese father and a Slovak mother, I often felt like I existed between two worlds. My father himself had moved to Slovakia seeking education and a better future, and later, for political safety. Yet growing up, I rarely saw anyone who looked like me or shared my experiences. There was no space to understand what it meant to be from two cultures, to carry two religions, or to feel torn between two versions of myself. My queerness added another layer of invisibility. Slovakia has strict laws and deep-rooted social views that make it difficult , and sometimes dangerous, to explore LGBTQ+ identities openly. Coming from a country with a complex history of political repression and censorship, where open expression has often been discouraged meant I grew up without a clear sense of belonging. That history shaped not only my experience, but also my values: it taught me the importance of human rights, freedom of speech, and the need to protect spaces where people can live as their full selves. It wasn’t until I came to Wolverhampton Grammar School that I began to feel seen, safe, and celebrated for the full version of who I am.

In Slovakia, and even in my first school in England, mental health wasn’t something we were taught about. It was never discussed openly, and in many ways, still carried a heavy stigma. As a child, I remember experiencing panic and anxiety attacks and I didn’t have the language to describe. I felt confused, ashamed, and isolated, and there was no one to tell me that what I was feeling was valid, or even normal. There were no lessons about emotional wellbeing, no safe adults to talk to, and no peers who seemed to understand. The first time I learnt about mental health in a meaningful way was here, in the UK. I remember feeling embarrassed that I hadn’t known sooner, but also deeply relieved. For the first time, I could name what I was going through, and that meant I could start healing.

Community, I’ve learned, is more than just a group of people, it’s the belief that we are responsible for one another. In my earlier schools, even after arriving in England, I didn’t feel that sense of belonging or possibility. Opportunities were limited, and dreaming big felt like something reserved for others, not someone like me. It wasn’t anyone’s fault necessarily, it’s just that the systems around us didn’t always allow space to imagine more. But at Wolverhampton Grammar School, I saw something different. I saw what it meant to be supported, encouraged, and challenged, and I realised how powerful it is when young people are given access to resources, mentors, and platforms. That’s what inspired me to get involved in youth boards, outreach programmes, and volunteer work. I want to help create those same opportunities for others, especially for young people from underrepresented backgrounds, so that no one has to wait as long as I did to feel like they belong, and like they matter.