Umar's Story
Umar, who was a young leader with Wicketz in Crawley, was supported and encouraged by a range of organisations and people, including Wicketz, to achieve his dream of going to Cambridge University.
Initially, going to Cambridge University was a culture shock – Umar said he felt like a bit of an imposter to begin with but is now enjoying the new challenges and experiences of his life in Cambridge: “I was born and raised in Crawley so Crawley was all I ever really knew until moving out to university. Once I moved out I felt a bit out of my depth when I got there. But luckily daily phone calls with the family made it a lot easier and now I feel I’ve settled into the community there.
“Growing up in Crawley, obviously nothing is smooth or plain sailing but you get used to it and start falling in love with the town, the people and the community so moving away was a bit of a shock. But life is all about progressing and going to the next stage, so I think my school, my family, Wicketz and Sussex Cricket all helped me prepare for the next step.”
March 2022