XCEL STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2009
Xcel Student of the Year award
Tara Webb was once told she was would never amount to anything. Suffering from years of exposure to domestic violence, drug abuse, racism and homelessness, few believed she would make it but Tara is about to graduate with a law degree and has won the coveted award of Xcel Student of the Year.
Coming from a dysfunctional family blighted by years of domestic violence suffered at the hands of her mother’s ex-partner, Tara has witnessed and experienced terrible things in her life that most people, thankfully, will never have to deal with.
As a child, Tara’s young mind was burdened by issues that were far beyond her years to cope with, as she explains: “When I was growing up I don’t feel like I was ever really in touch with the world, I wasn’t engaged in anything.”
Before the age of 11, Tara had attended numerous primary schools which meant she was denied the stability that children need to thrive in their life and education. By her teens, Tara was angry and troubled, rebelling against a lack of control she had over her life.
“I used to be a terror, people used to hate me but it got to the point where I thought I’m going to have to sort myself out because I’m either going to end up in prison or in serious trouble. I didn’t know what I was doing was incorrect until I was 16 when a teacher sat me down and said what you are doing is wrong, the way you’re looking at life is wrong. Without her I would never have known that.”
Whilst Tara’s teacher may have taken steps to put her on the right track, it was ultimately Tara who chose that path for herself. She vividly remembers the day when she made that choice, GCSE results day: “My results were bad and somebody very close to me said you’re stupid, you’re thick, you’re never going to become anything.”
This cruel comment was the impetus Tara needed: “It was then I decided, you know what, I’m going to show you. ”
Tara decided to continue her education despite her GCSE results and enrolled to study A Levels at college. “Initially I wasn’t studying for my own benefit, I was studying to prove a point but then I started to enjoy it and thought, I really like this and I can do it.”
Ironically, at the point where Tara was getting her life together and achieving something positive, she had to leave home because of a relationship breakdown within her family. Left with no alternative other than to live on the streets, Tara was housed in emergency accommodation when she was 17 and half way through her A Levels.
After two weeks, Tara was moved to temporary accommodation where she lived with people who were a lot older than her, many of whom were drug users. Describing the conditions of her housing, Tara still can’t believe that anyone, let alone a 17-year-old, could subsist there:
“It was filthy, cold and it stunk. The lights didn’t work at night so I’d walk up the stairs trying to avoid syringes and waste on the stairs. The place was falling apart and there were cockroaches everywhere, even in the fridge. To make matters worse, there were prostitutes living on the floor above so there would be these drunk men wandering around in the middle of the night. I would sit in this room hearing everything that was going on. I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
Where many would lose their hope and sanity in such a situation, Tara didn’t despair and more importantly, she never gave up: What I’ve been through, I don’t think its normal but it’s something that I take in my stride. It doesn’t mean I deserve things on a plate, it just makes me more determined.”
It was Tara’s dedication and focus that enabled her to sit her final A Level exams and re-take her maths GCSE despite living in a frightening world of drugs and prostitution.
Tara applied to university through the UCAS Clearing service after much encouragement by one of her teachers. She was accepted to study law at Greenwich University where she couldn’t be happier: “I love it here and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
In addition to working part-time at a bar to fund her studies and cramming for her finals, Tara dedicates what time she has left to projects she shares an affinity with.
Inspired by a visit from the Attorney General to her university and with the help of five friends, Tara is spearheading a domestic violence referral and information service called Friends With Time in co-operation with local authorities from neighbouring London boroughs. She has also enlisted the help of eight barristers from specialist family lawyers, 4 Paper Buildings, who have agreed to offer free legal advice through a domestic violence helpline Tara is trying to make available at university once a month.
Closer to home, Tara is being trained as a mentor to give talks and speeches to young people in her local community as part of the Crown Prosecution Service mentoring scheme. This scheme is one step towards Tara’s goal of working within child protection law but she insists that she wouldn’t take just any job: “I’ve worked my butt off just to get here so I’m not just going to sacrifice all that just because someone offers me a good package. I need to be passionate about what I do.”
To help decide what she wants to do, Tara is organising work experience placements at various places including the Civil Service, family and civil law specialists, Coram, and international law firm and Xcel Awards sponsor, CMS McKenna.
Whether Tara becomes a high court judge, a family lawyer or a community worker, she has already become someone extraordinary. At the moment, Tara is enjoying the success she has achieved through her own outstanding integrity and drive, qualities that have made her Xcel Student of the Year: I’m already looking forward to next year because it means that somebody is going to feel the way I’m feeling now.”
