Testimonials
Over the years, Excell3 have impacted the lives of thousands of students and parents across the nation. Here are a few testimonials from the journeys we have impacted.
Millennials leaders within Excell3
Former students of Excell3 that are now playing leading roles at Excell3 committees
Xavier Hamilton
Subcommittee chair - National Black Boys Can Academy
I joined Black Boys Can (BBC) in 2005 and it has been a part of my life ever since.
Being brought up in a single parent household with my fantastic mother, I was privileged to be part of Black Boys Can where I was surrounded by many positive black professional male role models; they made such a positive impact on me.
Black Boys Can provided me with invaluable skills and experiences that supplemented my academics studies and gave me a sense of purpose.
Throughout the years I have seized the opportunities provided by Black Boys Can to attend various types of programmes e.g. Residential, Career fairs, Gala Dinner Awards events and large national conferences attracting over 1000 delegates. I was a member of Excell3’s Youth Council, so as council member I received training in public speaking, a much needed skill which I have had to utilise on many occasions since.
I later went unto attend Excell3’s Amos Bursary programme, where I received peer and professional mentoring support from year 12 onwards through to university. This was an amazing programme.
Through the many years I spent in Black Boys Can, I have developed confidence, communication skills, and most importantly, my character.
I now run my own business, having successfully graduated from university with a 2.1 in Applied Theology, I am delighted to be giving back to Excell3 and to be the chair of the National Black Boys Can Academy subcommittee. I am committed to providing similar opportunities that I got from Black Boys Can to the next generation of Black Boys.
Chloe Walsh
Subcommittee chair - Apex Universities Programme
Hey, I’m Chloe, a 4th year medical student at the University of East Anglia. I have been on the APEX programme from 2013 – 2017
APEX has followed me along my journey through GCSEs and A. I have been offered so many opportunities including visits and workshops at the UK’s top universities like Cambridge, Oxford, UCL and Birmingham.
This has been a unique experience not only due to these opportunities but the people I have met. It has been truly inspiring to find people across England who have completely different aspirations but goals as ambitious as mine, opening my eyes to a much more competitive environment than what I had been previously used to.
When I first started this programme, I had no idea what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go to pursue higher education but the exposure to the wide range of universities quickly changed that. This is not only a programme for us students, but for our parents also. APEX really encourages you to challenge your obstacles to university, however personal they may be to share. They believe in you so that you feel supported even when you don’t believe in yourself.
The motivation doesn’t just stop at words of encouragement – they equip you with lifelong skills (e.g. speed-reading, which has been surprisingly useful) that will not only carry you through university, but your future career and probably the rest of your life.
In addition, workshops with renowned persons have not only inspired us to thrive academically but have also challenged our conventional ideas of the traditionally academic subjects, especially Maths and Physics.
I have definitely reaped the benefits from being selected to be a part of this course. Academic success to date has motivated me to speak to new APEX cohorts and show them that success is subjective; success is possible regardless of circumstances.
I feel privileged to be a part of the Excell3 community and will continue to support it as equally as it supports me.”
Darryl Green
Vice Subcommittee Chair - Apex Universities Programme + Website Developer & Creative.
Excell3 being a consistent educational aspect in my life since 1999, has been integral towards me having larger aspirations through life experiences provided from Excell3.
Beginning in the National Black Boys Can Association, I was given invaluable weekly tuition which contributed towards my key stage 2 success & growth in the education system.
From attending week long placement courses at Oxford University, to networking abroad on behalf of Excell3, I have been able to gain access to knowledge and unique experiences I would not have got elsewhere.