Your Story, Your Brand, Your Timeline | Beyond the Classroom #2

How do you start again when life knocks you off course, build a personal brand on LinkedIn as a student, or find a route into university without A-levels if that's the path you want? Three speakers, three very different routes. Shaista Mayar had to leave Afghanistan in 2021 and arrived in the UK with no English. She shares how ESOL classes and the University of Chichester's Adversity to University programme led her to a law degree, and why your beginning doesn't define your future. Annie Long, a business student at USC and content creator, shows real LinkedIn posts from high school onwards and explains why you already have something to post – in your own voice, not AI's. Fabiola Hajdini, founder of Get Into Uni, explains foundation years, work-experience routes for over-21s, start dates beyond September, and funding many adult learners don't know about. Recorded live at Beyond the Classroom #2 on 24 September 2026 – a free monthly online event for young people aged 15–25, run by PotentialU Education. Watch each talk on its own:    • Beyond the Classroom #2 September 2026   Join the next session (free): https://potentialu-beyondtheclassroom... CHAPTERS 0:00 Welcome and why PotentialU exists 2:38 Shaista Mayar: Your beginning doesn't define your future 27:05 Q&A with Shaista 32:44 Annie Long: Personal branding on LinkedIn 1:04:08 Q&A with Annie 1:13:35 Fabiola Hajdini: Getting into uni without the usual qualifications 1:25:01 Q&A with Fabiola 1:28:47 Wrap-up SPEAKERS Shaista Mayar – Law student (LLB), University of Chichester   / shaista-mayar-2754b82b2   Annie Long – Business student at USC and content creator https://linktr.ee/annielong Fabiola Hajdini – Founder of Get Into Uni https://linktr.ee/getintouni Hosted by Aly Lalji, founder of PotentialU Education FOR TEACHERS AND CAREERS LEADS Bring Beyond the Classroom to your students: https://potentialu-beyondtheclassroom... ABOUT POTENTIALU EDUCATION PotentialU helps young people aged 15–25 build practical skills and real proof of what they can do. https://www.potentialu.education #ItsNotLinear #BeyondTheClassroom