​​​Shebani has just started a new job at TV production company Label1 as an Officer Runner, having previously worked as a freelance camera operator, runner and production assistant in various TV studios.

The former Plashet School pupil attended Havering Sixth Form College from 2013 to 2015 studying BTEC Law, and A Levels in ICT Applied and Moving Image Arts. She achieved a Distinction* and two B grades.

She progressed to study Film and Television Production at the University of Hertfordshire where her passion for a career in the production department of studios producing films, music videos and commercials, was developed.

While still at uni, she won the Indie Training Fund Creative Skillset Award at Visions Film Festival in May 2018 for her film ‘A Dancer Dies Twice’. She was also nominated for the Warner Bros Best Production Design for the same film.

After leaving university she secured work as a camera operator at Private Affairs, director of photography on short film Sofa Surfer, a lighting director on a photoshoot, spark trainee on a music video and a runner at TVT Productions and Epiphany - as well as at the BBC.

Shebani, 22, says she is independent and proactive and wants to succeed in everything she does. She is looking forward to her new role and is really excited about the challenges the job will bring.

Sara Pascoe, 37, is a multi award-winning stand-up comedian, actor and writer who has made numerous appearances on TV shows.

A former Gaynes School pupil, Sara attended Havering Sixth Form College from 1997 to 1999 where her favourite subject was A Level Psychology. Although she was intelligent and capable, Sara admits she didn’t study as hard as she could have and left College with two Cs and an A. Her final grades meant that she was not able to take up the place at Cambridge University to study Philosophy that she had hoped for.

She took a gap year, which became two years, moving to Nottingham and working as a backing singer and dancer for entertainer Pete Conway (Robbie Williams’ dad).

From there she decided to go back to education and get a degree, studying English Literature at the University of Sussex. During her university days she became involved in drama groups and after graduating she worked as an actor, supplementing her income with temporary work, mostly charity fundraising for the RSPCA.

She had never intended to be a comic or a stand-up and says she somehow fell into the career that was to eventually make her famous. She says: “I used to think comedy was for idiots. I was very sneering. I just didn’t get it and thought it was stupid. I didn’t know I wanted to be a comedian until I’d done it for about three months. I was trying to be an actor from the age of 18 to 27!”

After university she began performing in theatre shows and at old people’s homes and went to open-mic nights with her guitar. But she struggled to make ends meet and eventually realised that there were far more opportunities in comedy than in theatre, so in 2007 she started asking comedians for gigs.

The more stand-up she did, the better she became at it and got her big break when she was a runner-up in a Funny Woman Competition and was approached by her agent, who she now credits with ‘changing her life’.

In August 2010, she performed her first show at the Edinburgh Festival - Sara Pascoe Vs Her Ego, which received very positive reviews.

In 2012 she appeared on Live at the Apollo and then in 2013 she won an episode of the TV show QI with 28 points – clearly showing how smart she is. In 2014, she performed again at the Edinburgh Festival and toured the UK for the first time with her show Sara Pascoe Vs History.

Since then her career has rocketed and she has appeared on TV panel shows such as Mock The Week, Have I Got News For You, 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Twenty Twelve.

She has had acting roles in The Thick Of It and W1A, and she's written a book, Animal: The Autobiography of a Female Body, which was published in 2016. That same year she went on tour again with the show Animal and she is currently touring the UK with her show Lads Lads Lads as well as working on her second book.

Joy Johnston (formerly Joy Tottman) is a Havering Sixth Form College Governor, a Governance Manager at Sport England and has also been an Olympic Ice Hockey referee.

Joy attended College from 1999 to 2001 and achieved straight A grades in Maths, English Language, History and Media A Levels. She then went on to study for a Politics, Philosophy and Economics degree at Oxford University.

After graduating from Oxford, which she describes as a life-changing experience, Joy, a former Albany (now Hornchurch High) School pupil, took on a job as a researcher for a headhunting firm.

Six years later she moved into the sports sector which is an industry she cares passionately about. She is now working as a Governance Manager at Sport England where her role is to ensure that the national governing bodies of sport who are funded by Sport England, are well governed and fit to receive public funds. 

She said: “Beyond this I help to drive improvement in the way sports organisations are run, which means more people can benefit in a positive way from sport just as I have.  My experience of building organisational structures and getting strong leaders as a headhunter has allowed me to influence the way sports organisations appoint leaders and helped to make them more effective.”

Joy’s love of ice hockey began at an early age. She started reffing when she was 14 after playing the sport for a few years. She soon gained her international licence and progressed to international tournaments and then the Winter Olympics. She stood down from her competitive referee role after her third Olympics – the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, where she was the referee in the gold medal women's ice hockey final.

Through her involvement with international ice hockey, Joy met her husband Scott Johnston, a player for the Canadian national team. She is still involved in the sport, being the Chief Referee and Director of Officiating for the Ice Hockey UK Referee Section.

Joy still manages to find time to fulfil her voluntary role as a Governor at Havering Sixth Form College, saying it is important to her because it provides a chance for her to give back to an organisation that set her on a good path as a young person.

Mustafa Daud has just been offered a highly sought-after position at KPMG (part of the ‘Big Four’ financial services) in the City, starting this September on their Audit Graduate programme.

A former student from 2013 to 2015, Mustafa achieved an A* and three Bs in A Level Business Studies, Accounts, Maths and AS French and then progressed to The Cass Business School which is based at City University, London.

He is currently in his final year there studying BSc (Hons) in Accounting and Finance and is hoping to graduate with First Class Honours.

While at City, Mustafa has been the Captain and Vice-President of the university's American Football team - City Wolfpack - and has edited the university’s newspaper, The Cass Exposure.

He has recently returned from a study year abroad programme in the US at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, where he says the main highlight of his visit was working on a consulting project for a FTSE 250 client that resulted in the project being successfully implemented by their senior management.

He also developed a strong interest in Financial Analysis, Company Valuation and Taxation which he hopes to be able to further explore during his career.

He said: “Beginning my professional career in the City with KPMG places me in the best position to equip myself with numerous valuable skills, develop commercial knowledge as well as being able to work with a diverse portfolio of clients.

“I plan on working and travelling globally in the long-term, so I hope KPMG will be the company that provides me with the platform to achieve my dreams.”

Mustafa, a former Forest Gate Community School pupil, often returns to Havering Sixth Form College to motivate and inspire current students. He recently spoke to prospective parents and students during the Principal’s Presentation at the College Open Day.

Sam Wilkins is working as a Roto Prep Artist at the London studio of Industrial Light & Magic – a company that specialises in visual effects, imagery and animation for blockbuster films.

A student at College from 2011 to 2014, Sam, formerly of Albany School, achieved A* and A grades in Graphics, Moving Image Arts, and the Creative & Media BTEC Diploma. He then stayed on to study the Art & Design Foundation Diploma, gaining a Distinction.

He progressed to study Visual Effects for Film & TV at the University of Hertfordshire and when he graduated, he started as a 2D trainee, quickly moving on to be a Roto Prep Artist at Double Negative Visual Effects. He then became a Junior Compositor at the same company before landing his current job at world-renowned film specialists Industrial Light & Magic (ILM).

ILM have offices in San Francisco, Singapore, Vancouver and London and have produced visual effects for movies such as Jurassic World, Star Wars, Marvel Avengers and The Mummy.

The studio collaborates with filmmakers on projects from initial concepts through final shot production and delivery and Sam’s role as a Roto Prep Artist contributes to the studio’s work in turning out awe-inspiring imagery.

Ola Sagbola is a qualified Barrister and is currently working as a Legal & Governance Paralegal for the Financial Reporting Council.

A former pupil at Gaynes School, she was a student at Havering Sixth Form College from 2006 to 2008, studying A Levels in English Literature, Government & Politics and Biology. Ola progressed to the University of Essex and as part of her Law degree, spent a year studying at a New York Law School.

From 2013 to 2105 she attended the University of Law where she completed the Bar Professional Training Course and qualified as a Barrister.

She then worked for four years at the Financial Ombudsman Service as an Adjudicator where she prepared cases for final decisions for Ombudsmen and delivered training on new processes to colleagues.

With a background in regulatory and public law, particularly for GDPR readiness, Ola has been working in house at the Financial Reporting Council for over a year.

She often returns to College to give talks on what it is like to study law and what working in the legal profession involves, to current students.