Graduating from her languages degree in 2022, Esther’s options were open but unclear. Unsure of her career path, and a wheelchair user since her teens, scouring the jobs market for the right opportunity felt overwhelming. Well used to the bureaucracy that often surrounded her disability, finding the Change 100 graduate internship programme opened up fresh opportunities, free of the traditional red tape.
“Many of my fellow language students headed abroad after graduating but I wanted to stay in the UK,” says Esther, now 27. “I spent a year looking for work; it was frustrating after all the work I’d put into school and university.
“Finding Change 100 opened up so many possibilities. It was centred on accessibility, pre-empting needs rather than them being a barrier or an afterthought. It was very nurturing.”
Facing childhood cancer and an associated spinal cord injury which resulted in her wheelchair use, Esther still attended mainstream school and left her home in Essex for University in Southampton. With her well-developed problem-solving skills, she was introduced by Change 100 to international law firm, Troutman Pepper Locke, where for three months in 2023 she entered the investigative world of anti-money laundering (AML) compliance. Esther immediately knew she’d found her fit and has subsequently gone on to build a successful career in the sector.
“I never knew such jobs existed,” recalls Esther who quickly got to grips with monitoring transactions, verifying identities, assessing risks, and researching global businesses. “My mum studied law, so it was exciting to follow her lead and I found the analytical thinking intersected with my disability experience. For most of my life I’ve been subconsciously assessing risks and looking at things from a different angle – it was a great fit.
“It was a hybrid role and I travelled into the London office by train from Essex. The offices were just a few minutes away from Liverpool Street Station, so no tube journeys involved, and the building was modern, with easy access. Everyone was so welcoming and supportive; especially my mentors Kevin and Evelyn. I thoroughly enjoyed it and decided to continue with an onward role in the sector. My internship experience helped me quickly find an AML administrator role and I’ve now worked at my current employer for three years.”
Finding her permanent role back in Southampton was another of Esther’s ambitions and she now lives there independently, spending time with friends, her local grandparents, and enjoying wheelchair dance classes.
Esther was Troutman Pepper Locke’s first Change 100 intern, and they too valued the experience, hosting different disabled graduates each year since. Esther has also returned with them to speak about her internship at an EDI forum for the finance and leasing industry:
“I think it’s important to spread awareness of Change 100 and the incredible companies it works with,” adds Esther. “It introduced me to an entirely new job role and, through it, I found my vocation.
“It is definitely possible to have a disability and a fulfilling career, especially when inclusive programmes and employers come together like Change 100.”
