Born and raised in East Lancashire, Dr Sayjda pursued her first degree in Accounting and Finance from Lancaster University whilst working with a local Accountancy firm to help fund her studies. After achieving a first class honours, she was awarded an Economic and Social Research Council Scholarship to fund her Masters and Doctorate degree over 5 years. During her studies, she presented her research at conferences across the globe and was selected to represent Europe in the America Accounting Association Doctoral Symposium in Lake Tahoe in 2005. Since graduating with her PhD, Dr Sayjda has spent the last 16 years working in Higher Education where she has designed, delivered and managed several degree programmes within the Business school. She has also worked with many Northwest academic institutions in roles such as; External Examiner, Programme Consultant and Business Mentor. Dr Sayjda has a strong interest in raising aspirations of young adults in the East Lancashire area, particularly in relation to pursuing Further and Higher Education. Her research has also investigated the decision-making behind post-16 choices amongst students of South Asian heritage. She now uses her position as a Widening Participation Academic Advisor to encourage and mentor other students, from similar backgrounds, to pursue their ambitions and fulfil their potential. Married with four children, Dr Sayjda now resides in Lancaster and enjoys spending time with family.