Imagine being told as a child that you will never be able to speak or read, and that you will need lifelong support and assisted living. For Jason Arday, this was the harsh reality. However, instead of giving up hope, he chose to fight. Determined to succeed and with a strong belief in himself, Jason embarked on a journey that would inspire anyone who hears it. Today, he stands as a shining example of what can be achieved with hard work and dedication, proving that anything is possible if you have the courage to keep going.
As a child with autism, Jason Arday was diagnosed with a global developmental delay, which made it difficult for him to learn how to talk and read. He remained speechless until age 11. Now, 20 years later, the young boy who could not read or write until his late teens is now the youngest-ever black professor at Cambridge University!
Despite growing up in an underprivileged area of Clapham, London, with a learning disability, Jason was curious about the world and had big questions he wanted to ask. He recalls thinking to himself: “Why are some people homeless? Why is there war?” He also remembers thinking “if I don’t make it as a football player, then I want to save the world.” He finally learned to read and write in his late teens and later became a PE teacher after studying at the University of Surrey. But Jason wasn’t satisfied. He knew he wanted to study and learn more, but had little training or guidance to do so.
Jason started writing academic papers and studying by night while working as a PE teacher by day. He recalls that when he started writing academic papers, he had no idea what he was doing and no mentor to guide him. This, however, did not deter him. He eventually became an acclaimed professor with two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in educational studies from Liverpool John Moores University.
While studying for his Ph.D. in 2015, Jason co-edited a groundbreaking report for the Runnymede Trust, titled ‘Aiming Higher,’ which focused on racial and ethnic inequalities in British Universities. Three years later in 2018, he published his first solo paper. That same year, Jason’s hard work and dedication paid off. He successfully secured a Senior Lectureship at Roehampton University before moving on to Durham University, as an Associate Professor of Sociology. He later became one of the youngest professors in the UK at the University of Glasgow’s School of Education. In March 2023, he joined the prestigious Cambridge University as a Professor of Sociology of Education, becoming the youngest-ever Black professor at the institution.
Jason, who has since written several books, hopes to inspire people from under-represented backgrounds to pursue higher education. His work focuses on how doors can be opened to more people from disadvantaged backgrounds and how higher education can become truly democratized. Jason hopes that being in a place like Cambridge will provide him with the leverage to lead that agenda nationally and globally.
Jason’s story is truly inspiring, demonstrating the power of hard work, perseverance, and a strong belief in oneself. With determination and dedication, anyone can achieve greatness, regardless of the challenges they face.
