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UCL student named LGBT+ Undergraduate of the Year

13 May 2021

Medical student George W X Barker has been named LGBT+ Undergraduate of the Year for wide-ranging work including serving as national director of Sexpression:UK, a charity which empowers young people to make informed decisions on sex and relationships.

Dr George Barker

The award, part of the TARGETjobs Undergraduate of the Year Awards 2021, included an application process involving situational, numerical and inductive reasoning tests as well as an assessment day. George, a final year MBBS student at UCL Medical School, was one of nine winners from over 5,358 applicants across 140 universities.

He was recognised not just for his time as national director of Sexpression:UK - which saw him appearing on the BBC, speaking at the House of Lords and lobbying the Department for Education to improve the curriculum – but also for his work volunteering in intensive care during the Covid-19 pandemic.

George, aged 25, said: “I was in two minds as to whether to apply or not, but decided to put in an application: you’ll never know what might happen unless you give it a go! After a detailed application form, psychometric test, logic assessment and two interviews, it was revealed that I had been successful - and what a lovely note to end my time at UCL on.

“The process has equipped me with more experience of graduate applications and interviews, I had the privilege of meeting other undergraduates throughout the UK trying to improve the lives of LGBT+ people, and as part of the award I am looking forward to my summer law internship with Clifford Chance.”

Professor Deborah Gill, acting Vice-Provost (Education and Student Experience) and formerly Director of UCL Medical School, said: “George is a great credit to UCL Medical School and UCL.

“His academic journey has been unusual and full, but it is also George’s co- curriculum journey that has been so remarkable and impactful and I am delighted to see that this has been recognised.”

The Undergraduate of the Year Awards were set up to identify and celebrate the UK's best undergraduates in specific areas. This is ascertained through a combination of academic excellence, the ability to pass a series of difficult online assessments, good written communication and, finally, the interpersonal skills necessary to compete with other students in assessment centres run by the partnering organisations. Each award is partnered by a prominent graduate recruiter who provides a prize for the winner, including a paid internship, trips abroad and other opportunities.

Simon Rogers, Chief Customer Officer at GTI, said: “Our belief in UK graduates as among the best in the world was confirmed in an obvious way by this year’s winners and finalists. It was a pleasure to meet them all during a virtual networking session prior to the awards ceremony. These students have very bright futures ahead of them and I am looking forward to seeing what they achieve next.”

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Jake Hawkes

Tel: +44 (0)7747 565 056

Email: j.hawkes [at] ucl.ac.uk