“I’m graduating from something for the first time”: Kelly’s Revolving Doors Academy story for Stephen Lawrence Day 2025
Today is Stephen Lawrence Day 2025. This year’s theme is Knowledge Changes Everything.
Following Ayesha’s blog, this is our second piece of the day from new lived experience member Kelly. Last week, Kelly graduated from the Revolving Doors Academy, our initiation and training programme for new members. This is her journey – from an unfinished school education to graduating for the first time:
I never finished school. I went to primary school, but I never finished secondary school and I’ve never been to college. The only education that I ever did was in prison.
For me to be on the Academy and actually learn things after my experience of substance misuse, homelessness, prison, being in care, all of those things to now be where I am: that’s lived experience.
On the Revolving Doors Academy and graduating for the first time
As a black woman, I never saw any black women like me doing this stuff. Even when I came to the Academy and met the others, I was like, oh, because I just didn’t realise I wasn’t the only one that had this lived experience.
To be with them and we’ve made a little bond and everything, and then realising that I’ve graduated, I’ve completed something and there’s going to be a graduation – I’m so bloody excited because I’ve never completed anything like this.
The only thing that I’ve completed is that I passed my theory. But this is like, I’m going to get a certificate, it’s going to be big. I’ve never had anything like this before, and because I’ve never had it I actually feel quite emotional.
Like I’m graduating from something for the first time and as well as for me, it’s for my sons as young black boys. To see their mum go through everything that she’s been through and come out on top and be doing all this stuff and then graduating is going to be such a powerful thing for them to see.
It will make them think if my mum can go through all of that stuff then they can do it too.
