Last month, I had the honour of speaking to a room full of bright and ambitious sixth formers at Green Templeton College, University of Oxford. The occasion was a Careers Evening designed to give these young minds insight and inspiration for their future paths—and it was humbling to be one of the invited speakers.
My message to the students was simple: “Nothing is impossible.” I encouraged them to believe in themselves, to understand the value of effort, and to recognise how lucky they are to have the opportunities they do—opportunities that many around the world would give anything for.
But what I didn’t expect was the ripple effect that evening would create.
Shortly after the event, I received a message from Omar Ouaret Sorr, a current Master’s student at Oxford who I had first met years earlier during a training session at the Royal Free Hospital, when he was a young medical student. Omar attended the Oxford event and reached out to reflect on how those two encounters—then and now—had shaped his understanding of care, inclusion, and the importance of mindset.
With his kind permission, I’m honoured to share his testimonial here:
“Seema’s training sessions have been a powerful reminder of the importance of truly seeing each patient as an individual. One of my main takeaways was the crucial need to avoid assumptions and to communicate openly with patients about their goals and ambitions, regardless of any disabilities they may have. It’s easy in a clinical setting to categorise patients by their condition, but Seema’s insights highlighted the importance of recognising each patient’s unique journey and reflecting that understanding in my communication.
Seema’s personal journey is a great inspiration to what patients can achieve in the face of significant odds, and I will carry this appreciation with me in my future practice. It’s a reminder that patients with disabilities can achieve just as much, if not more, than those without, and that starts with a conscious effort to avoid assumptions about their capacity.”
Thank you for your dedication to inspiring and mentoring the next generation.”
To hear this from someone now shaping the future of healthcare is both moving and motivating. This is what meaningful training can do. It doesn’t stop at the session—it lives on in how someone chooses to treat others, in the values they bring to their work, and in the impact they go on to have themselves.
A huge thank you as well to Emma Zaman of St John’s School, Potters Bar, for the kind invitation to be part of the evening. It is deeply inspiring to see a teacher create such an incredible opportunity for her students—one that doesn’t just focus on academic achievement but also on broadening minds and raising aspirations.
These sixth formers may have come to learn about careers, but I hope they left with something even more valuable: the understanding that they have the power to shape their world—not just through what they achieve, but through how they treat others along the way.
And if even one of them goes forward with a little more kindness, awareness, and belief in their own potential, then the ripples of that evening will continue long into the future.
If your school or college would like me to speak to your students—whether they’re preparing for A-levels, further study, or work—I’d be delighted to do so. These conversations are powerful, and they really can change lives.
Thank you again to everyone who made the evening so special. And thank you, Omar, for reminding us that teaching is not a moment—it’s a legacy.
