OC Collaboration - Inspiring Inclusion

Pupils at Woodhouse College were treated to an inspiring session on resilience and career journeys, led by keynote speaker and diversity champion Demi Abiola (HG 1998). The event, titled “Life Is Not Linear - It’s a Squiggly Line,” explored the unpredictable nature of success and the importance of embracing detours along the way. The talk was organized by Polina Andreeva (FG 2013), now Head of Year 13 at Woodhouse College. 

Drawing from his own experiences growing up in North London, Demi shared candid insights on overcoming setbacks, transitioning from accounting to media, and ultimately finding purpose through creativity. His message emphasized three key takeaways for students: 

• Don’t fear detours - they often lead to the most growth. 

• Resilience matters more than perfection. 

• Your journey will make sense in hindsight - just keep moving forward. 

Demi launched his new business, Konfluence, just under a year ago which helps him to continue to advocate for diversity and inclusion in media and marketing.  

We hope to see more OC collaborations as connecting and engaging with each other is what the OC Society is all about!