Tuesday 15-11-2022 - 00:00

In Conversation With - Halle Afflick, President Of 93% Club

Meet Halle Afflick, a second-year Criminology student from St. Mary's College and the President of the 93% Club. A state education employability society, this club is anchored in the cause of easing the transition for students from state schools to universities. As a forerunner in championing social mobility, the club won the 'National Outreach Award' from the National 93% Foundation. With over 50 partnerships and sponsorships, an active alumni network, a flourishing mentorship program and over 900 members, the 93% club is an excellent nexus of hard-working students and skilled professionals. 

As a state-schooled student herself, Halle recognised the innumerable inequalities that state-educated students faced when accessing opportunities in higher education. The very lack of resources in comparison to privately schooled students sets the state-schooled students at a disadvantage. It is this deficit that the 93% club is determined to mitigate. With an abundance of events, workshops and seminars organised to encourage networking and boost employability, the club has made noteworthy progress towards its goal of levelling the playing field. 

Halle was first introduced to the club through her Aunt back home in Liverpool, who told her of the innovative work done by the club. Following this, in her first year, Halle signed up to be the club's member at the Freshers' Fair. Ever since she has avidly participated in all its socials and talks and was even elected as the course rep for criminology for the club. Having had such an immersive and enriching experience in her first year, she enthusiastically stood for the elections of the President's role at the club. In her tenure as the President of the club, Halle hopes to channelise the efforts of the group into augmenting its network, expanding its partnership base and enhancing the experience of the members as a whole.  

Halle feels strongly for the community that she has found for herself at the 93% club. Through the club, she got the opportunity to connect with like-minded, aspiring people and be part of a society with members that have a similar background to hers. As part of the club, Halle visited the Social Mobility Factory in London with the National Committee for the 93% club in April this year. At the event, she participated in mock interview sessions and attended riveting panel discussions with the top firms in the country. She credits this event as a beneficial networking opportunity, an enriching experience unlike any other. Halle highly regards this sense of communal belonging as the potent force in her passionate commitment to the club. 

Moreover, for Halle, the club's uniqueness lies in its diverse variety of opportunities and engagements. From talks by civil servants and police officers to workshops run by trainee solicitors and journalists, the club caters to a range of student interests. She notes that these events are of significant value as they are specifically curated to provide state-schooled students with added exposure to the commercial and professional world. 

While the role of the President brings along its challenges, Halle takes them in her stride as critical opportunities in increasing personal growth and upskilling. She candidly remarks that as a full-time student, she often finds herself overwhelmed given the responsibility of running such an enormous club. However, her genuine interest in the cause that the club advocates relentlessly fuels her through all hardships and renders the experience highly rewarding and productive. Moreover, she mentions that her time as the President will also directly contribute to the dissertation she plans to undertake. Her work at the 93% club has aided in advancing her professional prospects and has truly benefited her academic career.  

With numerous inspiring events lined up for the term, the 93% club is ever-welcoming of students eager to join their cause. Make sure to register for their Question-Answer session on 22 November with the Heads of Durham Police. 

This student story was written by Malavika Pillai, one of our Digital Content Creators at Durham SU. If you would like to share your story with Durham students, get in touch with Malavika at: malavika.pillai@durham.ac.uk