Sophie Pender
Sophie Pender | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Sophie Pender speaking in Manchester in 2024 | |
| Born | Sophie Angela Pender June 1996 (age 28)[1] |
| Education | Hertswood Academy |
| Alma mater | University of Bristol (BA) |
| Employer(s) | 93% Club Herbert Smith Freehills Bates Wells Braithwaite University of Bristol Students' Union |
| Awards | Forbes 30 Under 30 (2022)[2] Diana Award |
Sophie Angela Pender (born 1996)[1] is a British social mobility campaigner and activist. She founded the registered charity the 93% Club, the UK's least exclusive members club for people educated in state schools.
Early life and education
[edit]Pender grew up on a council estate in North London.[3][4] She lost her father to substance abuse.[3] Pender was educated at Hertswood Academy in Borehamwood. She worked two jobs to support herself during her studies, and achieved straight A*s for her A-Levels the first student in her school to do so.[5][6][7] Pender studied English at the University of Bristol, and was the first in her family to attend higher education.[3][8] Pender graduated from the University of Bristol in 2017.[9]
During her time in the University of Bristol she became involved with efforts to improve social mobility, with the University of Bristol Students' Union[1] and the charity Access Aspiration.[3] Whilst an undergraduate student Pender founded the 93 Percent Club.[10] The club became a national network of student societies, who worked with organisations to improve the employability of graduates educated in state schools.[7] Pender has referred to the 93% Club as an alternative Bullingdon Club challenging old boy networks.[4][11]
Career
[edit]After graduating she worked as a city lawyer for Herbert Smith Freehills and Bates Wells Braithwaite before working full-time for the 93% Club.[11][12]
Awards and honours
[edit]Pender was named as Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2022,[2] and won the Diana Award[13] and was named a Woman to Watch by The Times in 2017.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Anon (2015). "Sophie Angela PENDER". gov.uk. London: Companies House. Archived from the original on 2024-12-06.
- ^ a b Anon (2022). "Sophie Pender, Founder of The 93% Club". forbes.com. Forbes. Archived from the original on 2024-12-06.
- ^ a b c d Nye, Catrin (2021). "Being proud of going to state school". bbc.com. BBC News. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
- ^ a b Verkaik, Robert (2021). "A Bullingdon in reverse: how working-class student club is taking on elitism". theguardian.com. The Guardian. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
- ^ Oliphant, Victoria (2014). "Sobbing student heads to university after receiving straight A*s". borehamwoodtimes.co.uk. Borehamwood Times. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
- ^ Anon (2014). "Best Ever Results...Again!" (PDF). hertswoodacademy.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-07-09.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ a b Anon (2021). "About". 93percent.club. Archived from the original on 2021-03-09. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
- ^ a b Brown, Steven (2017). "Student named one of the women to watch 2017". borehamwoodtimes.co.uk. Borehamwood & Elstree Times. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
- ^ Anon (2024). "Sophie Pender (BA 2017)". bristol.ac.uk. University of Bristol.
- ^ Anon (2020). "Our Leadership". 93percent.club. The 93% Club. Archived from the original on 2020-12-21. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
- ^ a b Burton, Lucy (2023). "Sophie Pender: The City lawyer smashing the old boys' network". telegraph.co.uk. London: Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2023-11-23.
- ^ Sophie Pender on LinkedIn
- ^ Anon (2024). "Sophie Pender". diana-award.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2024-12-06.
