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A passion for her subject and the belief of a teacher saw Tia McBurnie (HSPS 2022) make “the best decision I’ve made in my life” by applying to and becoming a student of ����Ӱҵ College and the University of Cambridge.

Tia, who specialises in politics and sociology in HSPS (Human, Social and Political Sciences), says: “It's the best decision I've made in my life, which sounds quite hyperbolic, but it's honest because HSPS is such a unique degree to Cambridge, and the whole reason I wanted to apply in the first place was for the degree. It’s been everything I wanted it to be, in terms of expanding my knowledge and expanding my passion.”

It was a rare sick day in Year 11 of secondary school, before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, when Tia felt an idea germinate in her mind. Miss Harbon, her sociology teacher, had told her about HSPS, which Tia, unable to do much more due to illness, read about on her phone from her sick bed.

Tai adds: “I didn’t know HSPS existed until my teacher, Miss Harbon, planted that idea in Year 11. That’s when I began to take Cambridge seriously; prior to that point I hadn’t believed Cambridge was an attainable goal. I explored further through Caius. My school and Caius supported me through that pursuit of passion.”

Tia’s father lives in London, her mother in Cornwall, and she has a strong Caribbean influence in her background. Neither of her parents attended university and she was uncertain of the next step when she seized the super-curricular opportunities offered by Caius’ Admissions and Outreach teams.

Tia attended Sydenham School in Lewisham and the merged sixth form Sydenham and Forest Hill Sixth Form. The schools are in Caius , and have been visited by Gwyneth Hamand, the College’s London Outreach Officer.

“Gwyneth came to my school and asked me ‘why not?’ I owe her a lot,” Tia adds.

“My entire philosophy was it’s one slot on your university application. You have four other opportunities to succeed and no matter what happens the path that’s right for you will find you.

“I even had this conversation with some of my close friends who got better A-Levels than I did who didn’t apply because they felt like they couldn’t, and now they have some regrets.

“Why not take the chance? I didn’t at any point during my entire application believe Cambridge was a realistic dream, then all of a sudden I’m matriculating in 2022, and now I’m graduating.”

Why not take the chance? I didn’t at any point during my entire application believe Cambridge was a realistic dream, then all of a sudden I’m matriculating in 2022, and now I’m graduating.

Taking part in Caius Explore and Caius 12 helped Tia make a competitive application. She now is keen to encourage others to follow in her path. Tia enjoys access work and also was the freshers’ representative in her second year, smoothing the transition for those immediately following her at Caius.

“I'm a Black woman from a lower economic background. I meet a lot of the widening participation criteria used to refer to access,” she adds.

“Without people that look like me in access, I wouldn't have taken Cambridge presenting themselves to us as a serious thing. I just genuinely didn't see myself at a place like Cambridge. 

“It was people doing access work saying ‘hey, I've done it, so can you’ that really made the difference in me finding the confidence to apply. So why wouldn’t I offer the same back to people? I know how much of a difference it can make.”

Alongside her access work, which earlier in 2025 saw her host her former school at Caius, Tia is part of Black student initiatives in music and the arts and is a member of the .

Asked what has been the best part of her time at Caius, Tia says her degree without hesitation, followed by the people she has met and friendships made.

She says: “I remember someone said in an access event ‘you think people are going to have assumptions about you, but the reality is you pigeonhole people yourself’. Cambridge has encouraged me to challenge those assumptions. 

“Cambridge has allowed me to meet people from all walks of life and backgrounds who I can see myself spending time with in the future. I am thankful for the friendships I’ve been able to make.”

As for the advice she would give to her 15-year-old self, lying in her sick bed, she says: “I would tell her to panic less and be less harsh on herself. My dad has this phrase: ‘no postmortems’. When something is done, let it be done. Don’t dwell on it and think on the negatives. I carry that philosophy into most things. You can only put your best foot forward. 

“It’s been an overwhelmingly positive experience. Obviously there are times you have doubts – imposter syndrome is a huge thing at Cambridge. But I’ve constantly proven to myself time and time again that I can succeed, as long as a I work for it. 

“I wouldn’t change a thing.”