One of the things we look for when choosing our Future Leaders is resilience, and individuals who know how to lead by example and inspire others – not only with their words, but with their attitude and actions. During his second year of study, Raphael had his place at Durham withdrawn after his sponsorship from a reputable private organisation suddenly fell through. After some investigation, it turned out that the company hadn’t paid his tuition, and as a result he was now personally in debt to the university – and as an added consequence, he also ran the risk of being deported. This was a massive blow to Raphael, a straight-As student. The fact that he had no immediate family in the UK made it even more scary and lonely time for him. “My student accounts were disabled and I was kicked out of the accommodation,” he says. He also missed a major exam.

But even at this extremely low point, he kept studying on his own “because I was being optimistic”, while working at Wetherspoon’s to raise as much money as possible.

With the prospect of getting his degree slipping through his fingers, as a last resort, he started a GoFundMe account. Astonishingly, he managed to raise more than £27,000 in less than a month.

“What kept me going was not really myself, but thinking about what I could do for others once I got my law degree and also the people that could potentially be inspired by my story.”

But by the time he raised the money, he had missed the bulk of his lectures, and had to reapply for his visa. Instead of sitting around waiting for this process to play out, he independently completed the course material for his second year and sat his exams at the British Council in Nigeria – scoring 2:1 and First Class marks. “I just kept pushing,” he says. “Essentially I had to teach myself second-year Law.”

Now reinstated back at the university, Raphael “still gets messages to this day from people who were inspired by my story”. Now a student ambassador, he represents the university at open days, being on hand to answer questions posed by potential undergraduates, with the aim of increasing the representation of African Caribbean students. He has also been a soloist for the Durham University Gospel Choir, including performing Christmas carols in Durham Cathedral. The choir finished second out of seven finalist choirs in the University Gospel Choir of the Year contest this April.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Qualified as a barrister, focusing on human rights advocacy.