Third year PE and Youth Sports Coaching student, Danny, grew up in Northwood, Stoke-on-Trent in a working class family. He was the first in his family to attend university, and shares the impact his mental health had on his drive for success.
Third year PE and Youth Sports Coaching student, Danny, grew up in Northwood, Stoke-on-Trent in a working class family. He was the first in his family to attend university, and shares the impact his mental health had on his drive for success.
Welcome back to series three of the Student Connect podcast. I'm Tiffany and I'm no Condor. And warehouse for today's episode. This podcast is created in association with Suffolk University and hosted by our student content team. It is a student led podcast, which shares the experiences of students progressing through university education and inviting experts from a variety of life topics. In this series, we are exploring cultures to grow our understanding and deepen our knowledge about the diverse backgrounds that make up our community. We want you to shape the series, so if you'd like to join us as a guest, email us at comms@staffs.ac.uk drop @StaffsUni a DM on social media. Along the way, we will endeavor to share our honest stories, sometimes too honest to help to educate and discover more about other cultures. There may be some sensitive topics discussed. these are important to share, to raise awareness of issues. If at any point we use incorrect terminology, please, we rest assured that this is part of us educating ourselves and we are not intending to cause any offense. Without further ado, let's get started. So welcome back to the podcast Anaconda. How are you? Have you been? I'm good. I'm good. And you? Yeah, I've been great. Just going. And the reason why you are our co-host today is that we will be speaking to host Danny, who is actually a guest today. Yes, I'm excited. Really excited. A really nice switch up. And yeah, I'm excited about it. In this series, you'll be sharing with awesome places across Staffordshire as we discover more about cultures and backgrounds from all communities. Today, we'll be chatting to Danny about growing up on a British Council estate and being the first in his family to go to university. Consular states and social housing products that are a fabric of life in Britain. The background to them is that when soldiers return from the First World War, they will greeted with homes fit for heroes and given parliamentary record in the Addison Act passed over 100 years ago. Today. They have provided secure homes for the millions of low income and working class people. For decades, many working class British people have grown up on council estates with a unique sense of community. In 2023, 62.9% of Stanford University students were first generation students to go to university. This means that their parents or legal guardians did not attend university themselves Today, working on learning more about life from Castle Estates and being a first generation university student from Staffordshire University. We have done. So Danny, welcome to the podcast as a guest. Can you tell us a little bit more about yourself? Yeah, so I have one. My name is Danny. I am a final year at Sports Students and do my undergraduate degree in PE and U Sport coaching. A little bit more about me and says University I am one of the content creators here at stuff some commonly usually seen in the podcast host seats. But I'm a guest today talking about the topic, which something that I resonate with and I'm quite talk about quite passionately. I'm also part of our Sport Academy, which is long story short loaded teaching and coaching, which is basically God is my career and what I want to go into. So I'm very fortunate that that project is a thing year at stuff, and I am a born and bred stokie and I'm also a first generation university student. So yeah, I've kind of gone off the path and the rest of my family members. Yeah, yeah. So at Northwood Stadium today, could you tell us a bit about our chosen location? Yeah. So this is perfect. It's perfect for me. So I was literally born in Northwood, not Stadium. It was the street, which is probably about 2 minutes from here. So that's obviously where it grew up. And being a sports students and being a working class students, being able to come to the stadium as a kid was like it was massive for me and a lot of other students. So I've been here quite a few times, fortunately, because it was a great sport back in the day, not as much. Now I'm getting on a little bit, but and yeah, I love this place. So yeah, I've got no football so I bowl and stadium for sports. Perfect. Absolutely. So can you tell us a little bit more about your background of growing up on a council and state? Yeah. So obviously I grew up in Norfolk and North Norfolk. For those that don't know, is like just outside of Honley and it's very much a deprived area. And when I say that, I mean the people that live there have next to nothing and I mean for me and my family, my mum and dad's mum will be watching this the Hi mom got to go in that. And I had a brilliant upbringing. I had two parents that brought me up, not dropped me off, but I've turned out okay. My dad might disagree, but yeah, so that's obviously where I grew up. And then I moved to near to Barnsley, which I'm not too sure on this fact. Someone told me people want it. At the time it was obviously one of the biggest council estates made in Europe. So yeah, but yeah, in terms of the background and working class, just as a general sort of stereotype, it's kind of like we got negative connotations quite a lot in the sense that so not useless in a way, but it's debatable what contribute to society. Yeah, I feel sometimes, but again, going back to the Barnsley side of things, the people I've met on Barnsley, they would give you anything and everything's healthier because they have nothing themselves. And some of the people that I know that live on benzos like me, previous classmates or friends are some of the nicest people because, you know, they have, they have nothing else. So all they can do is be kind in a way. But yeah, I mean, I mean, like going at school as well. Obviously a lot of kids were like me working class didn't have too much, but, you know, we all got through it and we've all got a different way. Some back as a novice. Yeah, Yeah. So could you set a scene for us on what, your childhood home was like and what the community was like because you said they would help you with anything and everything you have, any scenarios. The cases where that happened, were you helped in any way? Well, yeah, yeah. So I started off at Northwood. I lived in a very small terraced house and the community is there is a bit of a weird one really, because some people were genuinely, really nice about some people. I learned very quickly not to bother with them in the nicest way possible. But you know, that happens. That happens anywhere. But like I didn't have a bad upbringing at all. I had a really good upbringing and that's massively lockdowns like my mum and dad, like I can't thank them enough for how I've turned out and things turned out okay. But like, yeah, I had a really good childhood and then I was like moving to a different area. That community was kind of like a cultural shock in a way because obviously I live closer towards like the Barnsley side of the estate. And then the opposite side is another estate, but it's quite an affluent estate and obviously like a lot of my friends, that when I leave school they live on that estate and it kind of made me realize that they have not had the same upbringing is me and they've not had it easy as such, but definitely didn't see and go through some of the things that I had to. Yeah, So yeah, it was, it was quite a, quite a shock what I think affecting quite a while because again, there was still that mix of, you know, people from one side of the state and the other side of the state all in one school. Yeah. So I mean you briefly touch on school there and so how would you say that your upbringings shaped your views on education and opportunities? Yeah. So in terms of education, not often tell about what like probably year ten, year 11, I had no ambition to carry on what in education just in general, and I had no idea what I was going to do. So a lot the primary school I went to, which was close to Norfolk on the board of like north of Birches, and I remember in year three, because I was a working class student, I was sort of seen as like a automatically seen as like a troublemaker in a way. And I feel that, like, I was doubted that I'd be able to do something straight away. So for example, like Amanda and they did like class awards at the end of the year, so they just like jokey ones really said like, who's got the best handwriting and stuff like that? And this has always stuck with me. They run out of awards and I was the only person that was left. And so the year three teacher gave me Class Clown award and my mum still has that certificate and her wardrobe. And she showed me a couple of months ago and like, yeah, I was just like, I mean, I don't think she really like me. My Year three teacher can't understand why, but yeah, it's just, it's just always stuck with me. And like at the time I wasn't too bothered because I tend to understand them, like looking back and like I was really down and I wouldn't do anything. And I remember at college when I was applying for college, I wanted to do BTEC Sport and A-level sociology because you have the option to either not just do A-levels, do BTEC. I remember one of the admissions people laughed at me because I didn't want to A-level school and I'm like, Why are you laughing? And they were like, You're more than capable to do A-levels full. And I'm like, I don't want to do A-levels for the pizza vote. And they were like, yeah, but BTEC, you're not going to get anywhere. And I'm like, Who are you to decide how my futures going to go? I was really offended. Now days I just, I was like, Listen, then today I'm taking that and I'm picking out and you're not changing my mind how much you like laugh at me, blah, blah, blah. And all the stories for education go back to primary. I remember we came here once and and this was this was year three is while this is on which is teach actually hated me I wanted to do running and I couldn't I got picked for discus right And I can't speak French and so if I don't have to come and see but over there there is a discus ring. And so basically our discus works, as you spin around a bit, you have to throw the discus and there's like a tiny gap that this discus go through. So I step up, spin around, it's a side spin around. It's a size glass attempt, all pressure spin around at the side. I came third in the discus. You know, why can three people did it. Yeah. And that was so disheartening for me. I some people laugh at us a lot now. So disheartening for me because even in a sport side of things, I wasn't seen. I could do anything and it was just so frustrating. But so yeah, that was like years three, four and five and it was all the same. Like I just, I felt like it came across and like I was labeled as useless. And I did feel heavily. It's because I was working class and I was just assumed that now he's a naughty card. He doesn't want to achieve anything in life. And again, then stereotypes really playing a massive factor. But then when I moved school and this is one year of the atlas of a school I associate that as my primary school over three years. The other one, because the teacher saw me, came in, I was in button, but the SATs, but like the button groups for everything and I worked my way off and eventually Barley and just former SATs was in the top six because these teachers put the time and effort in. Yeah. And made me realize that I've got potential and I'm not like this lost cause. And like, I'm forever grateful that I moved house and moved area because that was massive for me. And that's when I realized that I do have potential in life. And I'm not just this No one that's not going to get anywhere. But also like the sport side of things that really kicked up then and and I was actually the fastest in year six. And like I said, it's that weird in a way because like every school up and down the country, if you're known as the fastest, it's like this high status thing. Yeah, it's crazy. It's crazy. I don't know about usually, but like at primary school, it's like if you're the fastest you in the popular kids, you don't get bullied anymore. Yeah, you can move to the front of the line to all sorts of all because you can run quickly. And like, when I moved school, like everyone was like, Wow, he's quick. And it's just like, Yeah, okay, honestly, I got more into the sport side of things and that's been kind of like the sport's probably the I want to go down, but yeah, that's a very brief summary of what education it sounds like. Primary school specifically, would you say that kind of the negative kind of scenarios and experiences that you have had as kind of pushed you? Do your best. Like is that kind of if you're if you're having a bit of a kind of like rough time or you start to have an ounce of don't tread bark, do you kind refer back to that and use that as a driving force? Yeah, Yeah. I think at the time as a kid, I struggle to see that. I mean, like now there's no such thing as a bad day. It's getting some really cringe. To apologize is either a good day or a learning day that's really cringe. And so I out in a joke, it's like out. Yeah. As a kid like it, dad used to really get me down and like. Like now they're moving forward in a kind of realize that if someone says, I can't do something, I'm going to walk out and I'm going to show you that gun. Yeah. And really try to challenge it and put myself into them uncomfortable zones and just grow and just not like sit back and say, Well, this person said, I can't do this. So yeah, that's not like, No. Okay. You know, so and like in sport, you can't you kind of have to you have to be like that, like sport. So. Like you're going to have like bad games, you're going to have losses and like, so I played in goal as a kid. You don't think because I'm not five or if you saw me around camp was, you know, small like I'm so that's why I don't play in goal now. But as a kid I wasn't that small and I needed to play in goal. I used to absolutely love it because being a goalkeeper, the whole team relies on you at the end of the day, like you're the difference between losing a match and not losing a match because you lack a goal and bang. And every time I used to get a goal and I cry, I would cry my eyes out all my idol. And I never used to understand why. And my dad would always be like, you can't keep crying. You can't keep crying. Like, it's ridiculous. The opposition teams laughing at you. You can't keep crying when you like goals. And and it turns out because I did I did CBT two years ago seven months of that that me crying at them goals was actually my anxiety going off and I never and I didn't realize it when I thought about it was like, that makes sense. And that's my inside. You think you're like, I've let the whole team down and like, just emotionally and mentally, my, my body's going like, ooh, like long balls ringing. Yeah. So I went also back in attendance. But yeah, no, no. And, but yeah the sports I that was, that's what was on about the sports. I'd like to talk lot perform as in the top people they will always have a positive mindset and the reason why I didn't make it in sport in my opinion is just I didn't have that mindset. But that's because of having an anxiety disorder. So you did it for like the coaching teaching side a little bit. Like you could say, you got too two your kids go coach. And I would you wouldn't see a change in emotion for me because I'm just I'm that confident that I could do that. It's great that you found like a kind of a way to stay in that kind of career. Career. yeah, I know. I know what you mean. Stage voices. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you want to find a more maybe tailored role for you? Yeah. That makes you shine. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you're really good. Yeah. I've seen you coach some of the stories, but yeah, like the playing side. Like, I stopped when I was about 15 and I sort sat down self and was like, I'm not going to make it unless, like, I can try, I can try, I can drive, but I'm not going to make it in this. But my dad's had some good connections with coaches, and so I went to like a school, like a soccer school. I hate calling it that because I hate calling it soccer, but you call it football school. It doesn't sound as good as soccer. But anyway, and from the age of 14, I was like. Introduced into coaching. And I realize that, like, I can be really good at this club. Most people, they start coaching until like after, after these, after the plane and after university. So I was like, if I can get exposed to this now, the only way ahead of the game. And so like, yeah, I started out as 14 or 21 now, so I've got seven years of coaching experience under my belt and it's how massively to do refereeing at one point, but I don't do that anymore just because of how toxic refereed, as if there's any referees watching, they'll know. But yeah, we don't talk about that so but yeah the coaching side of things loving it Yeah and it plays into the teaching as well. And so in terms of university, did you feel that you were supported by your family and your community or is there any judgment and steps of skepticism? Yeah, Yeah. Nice guys that they've they were massively support, especially like my mum and dad because my mum always had an aspiration to I think she wanted to go into like nursing. But my mum's always said to me that she just just wants to help people and she says, I want that to be the same with you. Sort of like in football we have this team where they say, like the parents trying to live through the child's dreams and possible in the same sense that my mom wants to see me in a job role where I'm helping people and like teaching coaching. I'm developing people all the time and she always wants to do nursing. And then she was at college doing health and social care. And then at 19 I came along and so, yeah, kind of stopped all that. Sorry, I want to apologize. Like, even, even, like, even like that, though, like my mom, obviously being a young parent, like, I think I think she got a bit stigma and now like at university I'll tell some like people would be like, I want your mum and dad to be like 50, 60. And I'm like, My mom's not just over 40. And then they look at me like, what's? And I'm like, Yeah, but like in my mind, like, that's just I don't see the problem with it. And like, I turned out okay and like, my mum and dad have been really in love for young parents. Now I've turned out how my sisters turning out. I've been brilliant. Yeah, I'm finally been so supportive like, but one of the, one of the funny things was, was applying for university all my with I dealt with it really freely ever again because like I'd be on like UCAS and I'd be like, looking at all the questions, I'd be like, Mom, what does this mean? I don't know. And that says a lot. And we're just we're just there a lot. But yeah, probably that one that, yeah, this and that. And it was, it was, it was horrible. Like, it was horrible. Sorry for that Newcastle representative as well, but it was horrible. I hate it. And I did feel like I was really by myself was up because a lot of my mates had, you know, like siblings about university of the parents, what university mate. Literally no one in like my close and why the family that I've been to universities I know one's a lot talked to in a way about it so yeah a bit frustrating what would would be on supportive and they they they wanted me to go to university because I think like my mum and dad especially, they saw that I had potential to do well in education, especially like again, like moving prime schools. I got to top SATs and like throughout high school I was doing okay. In college you got like a pathway prize and which was I know what, it's cool. So I Pathway Prize for Sport and Leisure which I think like sort of meant out all this what students at college I was a lot No Yeah so that's that's that's right right Yeah yeah she's like every I was not really proud of that but yeah they, they were massively for me going to university and I'm like I'm grateful for it because I was a bit like if an are in but now they kind of commit such good dude that's good. Yeah. Yeah. So like being a first generation university student is from what you've just said, I guess quite challenging, like trying to work out how to apply to acting that there's a way that people like you, custom things could put specific things in place so that those who genuinely don't have people around them. Yeah, the experience of applying directly, there's something that they could do to kind of like help out a little bit more. Yeah. I mean, just like, even just like reaching out. I mean, I know it's hard because they don't know every single first generation university and but even something as simple as like going to different universities in the area and being like here's a I mean, you might have had this at the time, I don't know, but like just like a workshop that says if you have any questions regarding applying for university in your specifically a first generation student, come here and we'll we're lucky. I mean, I would have been there for at least 3 hours because I have no idea what any of it meant. I've got a funny thing actually, for applying for university. I nearly applied straight to my postgraduate because I didn't. I didn't. I didn't understand the difference between an undergraduate and postgraduate degree. And like, how am I meant to know? Because I just knew that. You know what I mean? I'm just I'm looking at this and say, wow, Primary teacher piece bachelors, I want to be principal teacher. Yes. And then a referee. And I was like, bachelor's degree. What starts? Said a Google science coach. It appears that college was like I might have accidentally put on my UCAS applying for a post-grad. And she went ballistic. She's like, What? You can't apply for a postgraduate college. You and, well, I don't know. Sorry. So you. It's you change it to undergrad. I mean, now I'm a bit more in the loop of what I'm applying for. And for some people, if you don't know, it's completely easy. Mistakes are made and I wouldn't be surprised. And so although people that are obviously first generation university that I've been in that same situation where these don't really know what they're applying for like that, you know, that definitely does put a barrier towards applying for university. Yeah. Because then they feel like they because they don't know they're not going to try and try in the sense that they give up because of confusion. Yeah. Trying something new and having more opportunities. So yeah, I think that's definitely a yeah, especially the way you've just kind of like said you college reacted to that like with anger instead of understanding. Yeah well I don't know because then yeah they, they to place that again. It comes back to that whole idea of making like Yeah. Being made to feel a bit like useless because that you've just made a basic human mistake like everyone does. I remember crying at my UCAS application because it just kept coming back saying, This is wrong, that's wrong. Grammatically, that's wrong. I was just like, just leave me alone. Like at one point I did generally considered as like, right stuff uni. I'm fat of this application, so but I stopped for a minute and I mean, it's it I had finally and I'm glad I did it. But yeah, there have been many tears shed along the way so to say gosh, yeah, yeah. Over the years, council estates have been subject to statistical views and media, including the Royal family, Shameless and Little Britain, and more recently, the I mean, this country and Brexit. What do you think these shows? What do you think these shows show about working class communities and Kansas State perspectives and how does that resonate with you? Do you think these representations are true? Yes and no. So I'm going to stick with Shameless because that's the one that I've watched the most. And I absolutely love Shameless because I do resonate with a lot of parts of that. You know, like again, like Shameless is like a heavy pop culture and like an outside working class. Weirdly, it's massive, like going to the pole then, like it's a lot for a lot of working class people. It's like you wait throughout the week, you get your wages on the Friday, spend the wage on the weekend reset. And that's a common thing that allowed people do. And in like a lot of people are like, what a waste of a lifetime. But like to me I'm like, it's that's their life. They live the how they want to. They're not doing any harm. They're staying out of the way to my honestly say some drunken things, but like they're not, you know, in any harm But, but like for me as working class dude, I don't really tend to like alcohol purely because of, like the effect it had on, like, my granddad and, and like, he's like a heavy smoker as well, which again, like working class like, is a common thing to smoke because it's just like that. Like nice, not nice like traditional thing to do and obviously doctor killed him and like I was when I was like very early on that like have you smoking heavy. So drinking was literally killing his body and like if that wasn't so just accepted within working class culture, I might have got five, ten more years of my granddad. Yeah, So that's how I like to look at it. And you know, I'm not saying like open alcohol ban smoking because if you want to do that, you do that. And like I like to drink from time to time, but I'm not like over like working class people. It's like drink, drink, drink all the time. But in terms of shameless, like this is specifically the UK one, not the American one, and it does portray quite well mental health issues. So one of the carts is called Sheila and she has really bad agoraphobia. And like I have not seen agoraphobia portrayed in a piece of media as wild as Sheila is and like some of the other characters. So like Debbie, who's like one of the young children of like seven siblings, she has abandonment, abandonment, anxiety. And like Frank Gallagher, he's like, got addiction problems. And like for working class people, these these things are very apparent. But the problem in working class culture is mental health just doesn't exist. Yeah, it just it just does not exist at all. And like, you know, when I talk about my anxiety stuff, like if I was if I was like where I am now, like ten, 20 years ago and I'm saying to people, I've got an anxiety disorder, people turn around to be like, If you're crazy or you're just making excuses and like, I'm glad society's move forward in the sense that people understand that now. And like, that's why I like, like Shameless, for example, it portrays that. But that's not to not not say that like some of the things are a little bit like overdramatize, but again, it's a drama. You're gonna think about that. Yeah. I mean, if you want a like an understanding, it's good to watch them shows, but I take you with a pinch of salt and take it as a very basic. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Exaggerate. Yeah. Very, very much so with those sort of like kinds of issues that you've just spoken about, like kind of to do with, like alcohol and mental health, would you say that people in kind of working class council state areas find it harder to access help? Because I know that so say when celebrities have those sort of issues. Yeah they they've kind of got the financial aspects there to try and like get like the Yeah. The most professional help that they can but when it comes to working class people, do you reckon it's kind of pushed to the side a bit because it's a bit like while they live, look where they live. Like yeah, that doomed to begin with. Like cause for pretty much. Yeah. I mean like for working class people they are expected to work hard and continuously keep working because if they don't work, they aren't going to survive in a way that's kind of like very much like a very high work ethic in the sense that you have to work where you ain't getting anywhere in life. But yeah, in terms of the mental health side, I think people are just so like this massive push for like of being strong, the kind of neglect, not wanting to get outside to things because they just kind of put this emphasis on you got to keep going, you're going to keep going. And like there are probably a load of working class people, not just in Stoke on Trent, but up and down the country that have mental health problems and don't realize, I mean, like myself, like I I've had an answer to disorder probably since I was, you know, probably about ten, 11, 12, like because I was playing football that and a goal in a cry. But I didn't know that until I did my CBT and when I was you know, talking about them experiences this like this therapy satellite that's probably been on Saturday. And I was like, I didn't know that. But like so and yeah, like the access to help is another thing, especially for older people because you commonly do have to pay for this. I have be mean I self referred myself for my my CBT and luckily it was a free like charity. I think it's called like healthy minds stoke and and like yeah I had like a load of assessments and some more. It was just the CBT but I'm pretty sure it was like two or three months of just going like through constant assessments because at the time mentally I just didn't want to be here and like anxiety was that high. And so I think that's free for 16 to 23, 25 year olds. Not too sure. But again, if you if you are needing help and you are within the hour, you do Google it because like I say, it always seems like they saved my life a lot. This is your first year and I just I shouldn't be at all like I had thoughts of not wanting to be here or the password as people commonly use. And I just I didn't wanna be here at all. And, and actually I spoke to my course leader about my mental health and he got me straight onto the student wellbeing service straight. I'm like to this day I can't thank him enough because that was the start of like the journey of me getting better. Yeah. And he probably thought that was nothin. Like, not nothing, but then sense it. Like I've just helped a shoot out. But in a way it did sort of genuinely keep me alive in a way because I was getting to the extent where I was starting to like plan, not being here and just, yeah, I mean, very drastic and sinister thoughts. But yeah, I'm better now and like I like and again, I like to be open and talk about that, especially as a working class person, say that you can go get that help and there's no shame in getting out. And I think that's the of thing is why I think I think is a big shame thing around it like that in how and because you know a lot of people will say like I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm really not. And like now if you ask me all I'm doing, I'll just tell you straight some of it. If I'm angry all the time. If I'm upset totally, if I was that, you know, and I'm a lot more open about how I feel. And again, you know, I want people be like, why are you crying? Well, I even like, like, you know, recently and I'm like, does I want to write my life? I want to try. Let me try it. But yeah, yeah. It's just I think it is hard for working class people to get that help. But hopefully if as any work my students had a little bit about my story, then yeah. Yeah. It's great to hear that you're doing a lot better as well. Yeah. Thank you. Appreciate. So, how would you say that, growing up on a council site, did it influence your sense of identity in any way? Massively, massively. And I have never not I have never I have never been ashamed of being working class. Like I knew very early on that, like, my mum and dad had to work for what they've got and like they weren't given anything. And in the same sense that I wasn't really given anything in a sense that like in a massive finances and stuff like that and you do have to work for what you've got. But that's not to say I'm a mum and dad in harsh on me because they, they've been so loving and so carried and like role models and parents and just Yeah, well in terms of the identity thing like going back to school, it's kind of a weird one because like when I did sociology at college, we did a lot about working class boys in schools and that made me realize a lot about my culture, and about lobbying working class. So I didn't realize just how much homophobic abuse I used to get and want to tell people out. They're like, Well, you're not you're not a part of the LGBT community. And I'm like, I know. But the problem is, is that there's two types of working class boys at school. There's the ones that understand the working class and who want to do well, and there's the ones that are called macho working class lads, in the sense that like, they don't care. Well, yeah, it's them in life. And what they intend to do is to keep everyone and police everyone how they behave. So how would they do that? While for someone like me, I knew I was working class, but I knew I wanted a good career and I wanted to go places. And so then you'd get homophobic abuse in the sense that if you were seen to get on really well with your work, you'd you'd get homophobic slurs or like if you got on well with females, you'd get homophobic abuse. And like, it's crazy that that happened. And in the same sense that like teachers, they were not bothered whether they are now or not in that school child. But yeah, at the time they were bothered. but even though that happened, like I'm so proud to be working class, but I'm at university and like often, sometimes university can not be seen as like a thing for working class. But why? And say, you know what? Why can't someone working class or from a deprived area go on and do great things? Like it's always baffled me that us and I think it's this sort of underlying beliefs that it's not for your not for use, not for us, but it's like not that's changed now. And and again, I'm very glad that society's progressed forward in the sense that there are more opportunities for like working class people like me to go to university and like get a career and stuff. Yeah, just a good question. What are your views on success? Like, what is success for you? that's a great question. In terms of life or like a UTI. Okay. Like anything, I mean, just in a roundabout way, just getting through each day, you know what I mean? Like, I say, yeah. So let's be blunt. It's great having these, you know, grand big goals, like a five year plan that we use in business. The fact that you could die in your sleep tonight, I mean, I've talked about that gonna happen, but like tomorrow is not guaranteed. Yeah, well, and in the same sense that you've just got to go day by day and eventually it does build up to that point of time. It opens all. But yeah, he's got to take it a day at a time and like it was my anxiety as I got myself so stressed a lot, right? I got my career planned out by this, this age. I've got to have this by this age. And it's like, No, no, I don't like it. Just take your foot off the gas of it and just be with the flow. Yeah, but in terms of success, I just want to get by and like, I'd like to replicate what my mum and dad have done was like my little nuclear family and just, just have a nice, a nice house and I sold a nice household that I can bring my own children up eventually and just show to them that no one can tell them what to do in the world and like their destiny potential is down to them at the end of the day. Yeah. And that if someone does tell you what do you laugh at them in the face and you just get there anyway. Yeah. It's a completely get what you mean about the career plans and side of things because I've literally just had a module, but the assessment was creating a career plan. Yeah. And one of the examples that they gave on how to like lay out this portfolio and then also do a presentation about it was I think about what you want to do and within the next year, then five years, then ten years. And I was looking at it and I was like, I know what I need my end goal. Yeah, but I'm not going to limit myself to time because I want to be a film director. If I only ever direct one film when I'm 50, I've done it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I kind of approached it in and this is my short term plan. This is my mid-term plan. This is my long term plan. But I'm not going to say how many. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because, like, things can get in the way, like family and all of those things and like, speaking of success and things, I think as long as I'm happy with what I've done and I've got no regrets, then who's to say, no, yeah, yeah, you really shouldn't, you really shouldn't put time on things. And like, you know, I know time's always running out back denying that. Well, in the same sense that like, you know, when I was like, again, like going back to prime school, even at high school, I didn't know I was going to university. Now, like I'm a lead coach on a project with all the coaches and like, the week I got to deliver a coaching session to Spanish students in Madrid. If you'd have told 12 year old Daniel he was doing a laughing in the face and tell you where I go. Honestly and feel like a working class person like that was massive. And like to some people, a lot of people on the trip were obviously like, yeah, I've already been, I'm already going to do the place I should do this. But that was my first time abroad. That was my first time abroad. And I absolutely loved it was a massive culture shock because I spoke to a few people like, yeah, the way Spanish people speak English, they don't don't blame me because it's a complicated language. And I had to quickly adapt and just like pick up even just a few little Spanish words here or there just so I could like get by. Because, for example, we got on the bus, we tried to go to Madrid City Center. So obviously we got on the bus saying like, Madrid, such sensibly bus driver, just start, shout it out. I said Spanish. And I'm like, Mate, you speaking normally, I'm not going to understand. So shouting at me is just making a sudden sideways. Well, you know, I adapted. I got through that. Yeah, but yeah, like, like that opportunity was, was massive for me because I never thought I'd be able to do something like that. And like. Like I didn't feel out of place, even like the Spanish students, like they were really appreciative of me and like, they asking me more questions. They were asking like, how I got to these places and like these students that we work with on that module, they were from all around the world. So I'm talking like South Africa, Kazakhstan, Russia, like, you name it. One of the students was there and they were asking me about my journey and I'm like, It should be me asking about your journey in the traditional sense, because you've come from a different country and you're studying in a different country. I was like, Me, I'm just this working class lot that likes to shout at people and tell them, Do this, Do you know what I mean? And it was. It was yeah, it was a nice feeling that they kind of wanted to know my side of things, not how it got to where I am. So yeah, it was nice, but yeah, I the opportunity was immense. So thank you to ask you Global team and because Yeah it's so good It's such a good Sounds like you had a great time. Yeah. Yeah, it's brilliant. So do you have any advice that you would give to first generation students from a working class background that want to pursue? Yeah. God, why do I start? Firstly, if any university you're thinking of, they should have like sort of like a house outline in anything like that. But people that will help you. So just get in contact with them and if you are struggling, they will help. Because I wish I knew that. And also that now I know being at the university, do do that as I owe a lot of been really good for UCAS application would have to be crazy but again like if it were Ivy University applying for like just chapters about how applying because like people just people don't help anyway you know what I mean? And don't be afraid that if you're the first person going to university, that you're not going to be like the very first person ever because you'll find more people that are first generation students and like even people that have had like siblings that have gone university or aunties, uncles, whatever, it's still their first time as well. A just dad directly, because university is completely different. What your experience is going to be. So get involved as much as possible, like say, projects. If there's any projects on your course, get involve them. Because you know, I got good deals week so and I wouldn't, I wouldn't, I wouldn't get involved in a project so ask for projects and just put yourself out there but don't don't be someone that you're not don't like. If you're working class, you are working. Don't try to be someone that's like upperclassmen. I don't know. You know what I mean? Like, just be yourself. Yeah, that's like, that's that's the best thing you can do. Some people know the true perception of you. Yeah. Some really good advice. Yeah, that's great. Like, I'm going to go into careers next. So a huge thank you to Danny for joining us as a guest today. it's great having you on. Well, how's it been? My pleasure. I'd love to. I'd love to consult the brain and talking about a topic I'm passionate about as well. I'm surprised it's not like those notes on the old Frost. A lot, to be honest. But yeah, no, I really, really enjoyed doing. Appreciate it. Another huge thank you to a Q&A. So you the It was lovely. I love it. Thank you to Tess. Thank you, as always. The release is alive. You every single time. You know, we move on you. Thank you to Northwood Stadium, who kindly let us use their incredible location today. Northwood Community Sports provides facilities for a range of indoor and outdoor sports, including track and field athletics, football, netball, basketball and racket sports at Northwood Stadium is their contract, also has a water equipped gym, aims to encourage participation in sport and leisure activities by all sections of the community in Stoke on Trent and North Staffordshire as part of an active and healthy lifestyle and of course, thank you to you, our listeners. Thank you to the Tufts University Media Center. Podcast producer and production editor. If you'd like to be a guest on the podcast and send us a direct message on social media. To find further support at university, you can visit staffs to Act UK or your student Connect team. Don't forget to tell us what you think about the podcast so far, what you'd like to hear on it, and if you have any questions for us, please talk is on any form of social media at Stocksy Uni or Hashtag Student Connect podcast on any form social media. Goodbye. Thanks for listening and see you next time. Bye, tra duck.