Hillary was diagnosed with the debilitating autoimmune disease Lupus the summer before she started university and found the adjustment to her condition a challenge.

But instead of allowing this to get her down or affect her studies, she chose to turn what many would have taken as a negative into a positive. She decided to talk about her experiences on a public forum to raise awareness of “invisible disabilities” and to actively empower others like her.

She initially did this via a personal blog, which she also shared on social media. This caught the attention of the Nottingham Post newspaper, which was impressed with her attitude and her keenness to inspire others, and decided to run an interview with her. In it, she didn’t hold back, saying: “The condition stops your everyday functions, from simple things like walking and speaking, to going out and socialising. I suffer with memory loss as it affects my brain function – I just know it’s there with me every day.”

She has also been interviewed by BBC Radio Nottingham and has been featured in the Guardian newspaper and other media, again speaking openly about her life and trying to encourage others.

“I want to show that disability is not only something you can see and to help give advice to others in the same boat. I’ve had a lot of people with similar conditions reach out to me and say they feel the same.”

Off the back of her campaign, Hillary is now an ambassador for Change100, a national programme that matches disabled students and recent graduates with top UK firms. It was through the charity that she won an interning position at the Big Lottery Fund. While there, she penned a blog post about her situation and shared it on social media.

In the summer 2017 and spurred on by her determination to overcome all challenges, Hillary put into practice a long-held dream to start her own bakery business.

“I’d been going around saying, ‘if you want to do something there’s no reason to stop’, and I’ve always had a passion for baking and thought if I don’t give it a try, I don’t want to look back in five years and say, ‘what if?’”

Her first event was making cupcakes for a friend’s sister’s graduation – and the business, Hillary’s Bakery, now provides bespoke small and large cakes, most often for birthdays.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In public affairs, hopefully in a managerial role within the charity sector.

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