We are so proud of Zaynab Sohawon, our award-winning former student of Cadbury Sixth Form College, who has just brought home the Future Faces Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Young Professional of the Year Award for Charity and Social Impact.
After accomplishing A*A*AB grades in Psychology, Biology and Chemistry at Cadbury, she studied Human Neuroscience at the University of Birmingham, and is now CEO of her charity Emotional Dysregulation in Autism.
At the age of 19, Zaynab was recognised with the highest accolade a young person can achieve for social action or humanitarian efforts – The Diana Award.
While still at Cadbury she was invited to speak at TEDxYouth@Brum on suicide prevention and personality disorder.
She also recently received the Outstanding Leadership Award at the National Lived Experience Awards for her mental health activism, and spoke at the Cheltenham Literature Festival on World Mental Day.
Zaynab says: “When I started this journey, I didn’t set out to win awards — I just wanted to make change. What began as lived experience became advocacy, and that advocacy grew into leadership.
“This award is a celebration of what’s possible when passion meets purpose — and a reminder that young people with lived experience can drive real social change.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported, believed, and walked alongside me on this mission to build hope and impact.”
Here’s to Zaynab continuing to make change — with empathy, courage, and community. 💛
