A WORKING-CLASS Barry man from a single parent family has secured a scholarship to study at Cambridge. 

Ryan Smith, 23, a former pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Bro Morgannwg, will study a MPhil (Master of Philosophy) in Sociology at the prestigious university.

The postgraduate degree would normally be unobtainable to Mr Smith with a tuition fee of more than £15,000, but – thanks to a scholarship – he has been given this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The Opportunity Master’s Scholarship by the Cambridge Trust which is “awarded to the most deserving students who would otherwise face a financial barrier to study at Cambridge” will cover 100 per cent of his tuition fees.

Mr Smith juggled two jobs to support himself financially while studying at the University of Birmingham for his undergraduate degree.

Despite working as an ASDA customer delivery driver and a NHS Covid vaccinator he still managed to study – graduating with a first-class degree in Political Science and International Relations.

His development– personally and professionally – saw him awarded ‘student of the year 2022’ when he graduated in July.

Mr Smith said: “I’m excited to get the opportunity to study at one of the world's best universities without having to worry about how I’ll pay for it.

“But I’m not exactly excited about being surrounded by a bunch of posh people who probably have no clue about how the real-world works.

“I know that most people who get into Oxbridge get there because of unjust amounts of wealth and privilege, whereas for people like us, we get there through grit and determination.

“There’s nothing special about me, I’ve been given this incredibly rare opportunity.

"I just wish that more working-class people were given opportunities like this, because we are more talented and resilient than the silver-spooned and privately educated could ever dream of being.”

Starting in September, Mr Smith will take on research on working-class relationships to politics in South Wales.

He will attempt to understand why the people and communities who are most impacted by political decisions are often the least represented in political circles.

The research aims to outline the conditions necessary for working-class people and their communities – rather than politicians - to have the power to decide their own futures.