Cherie White's journey from humble upbringings to CEO of Think for the Future
Cherie White's journey from humble upbringings to CEO of Think for the Future.
In the latest episode of Heads & Tales, we were delighted to be joined by Cherie White, a great friend of Oppidan Education and CEO of Think for the Future, a social enterprise dedicated to mentoring students across the UK. Having grown up on a council estate in South East London, Cherie's ambition was clear from a very early stage and now spearheads an enterprise that supports tens of thousands of students.
🎙️ Episode recap:
Cherie discusses her mentor during her university days who shaped her understanding of building sustainable social enterprises.
Reflecting on her school days, Cherie recalls being part of peer mentoring programmes and highlights the significant role mentoring has played in her life.
Cherie talks about her determination to become head girl at school, leading to a desperate drive to engage in school activities. The fallout of not achieving her goal led to a valuable lesson in resilience.
She discusses the various challenges faced at TFTF during phases of growth and scale, emphasising the importance of clarity when setting out your vision.
She highlights moments of validation and impact from schools and students as the most rewarding aspects of her work, reinforcing the organisation's commitment to meaningful outcomes.
Cherie shared her preference for educational podcasts like Freakonomics, appreciating their scientific approach to leadership and problem-solving.
Cherie discussed her belief in the importance of financial sustainability for organisations, advocating for a balanced approach to funding models and the necessity of aligning quality of service with financial pressures.
Cherie expressed the need for a nuanced approach to education funding, acknowledging the challenges schools face beyond financial constraints and advocating for holistic support mechanisms.
Her advice to aspiring professionals in the education sector is to form a thick skin, building resilience to overcome inevitable challenges.
