My Purpose Coalition Student Ambassador Experience
This is a guest blog by Naomi Owolabi, a Purpose Coalition Student Ambassador and Purpose Lab member who is studying Philosophy with Politics at Royal Holloway, University of London.
My experience as a student ambassador for the Purpose Coalition has truly reshaped how I view the relationship between students and the professional world. Through this experience, I connected with student ambassadors across UK universities and engaged directly with a wide range of businesses committed to tackling barriers to opportunity.
By attending Purpose Lab sessions with companies such as Clyde & Co, Enterprise Mobility, Teleperformance, the NHS, Co-op, E.ON, and Colt Technology Services, I discovered that meaningful careers exist across every sector, and that you do not always need a specific degree to access them. One of the key takeaways from meeting professionals across these organisations was how diverse their academic and professional backgrounds were. Whether studying Law, Business, Engineering, Philosophy, Accounting, Criminology, or Psychology, the message was clear: transferable skills and passion often matter more than your degree title.
Enterprise Mobility, for instance, offered insight into how different departments, from operations to marketing to HR work together, and how students can bring fresh thinking into these spaces. These companies were not just recruiting they were listening, learning, and adapting.
This experience has also deepened my understanding of what it means to be a responsible business. It’s about more than profit; it’s about accessibility, inclusion, and long-term impact. I was especially proud to be recognised at the Breaking Down Barriers Awards 2025 at the House of Commons, where I received an award as a Purpose Lab Ambassador.
Through this opportunity, I have become more inspired, better informed, and more confident about navigating the world of work with purpose.
