Rachel Dickerson

Rachel Dickerson, aged 21 from Rayleigh in Essex, has graduated this summer with a first class degree in mathematics from the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the University of Sussex. She has also been awarded the £10,000 MacQuitty Prize 2020 for the Sciences.

Rachel has spoken about what her time at Sussex has meant to her: "Whilst I was completing my A-levels,​ my dad passed away suddenly, leaving behind just me and my mum. At that time, I thought a university education was out of the question for me. Luckily, my mum encouraged me to still pursue an academic path and the University of Sussex has been such an amazing place to do that. I have loved studying maths and it has helped me start fresh."

Rachel is the twelfth recipient of the £10,000 prize bestowed by Sussex alumnas, Dr Jonathan MacQuitty, which is awarded to the highest achieving student in the Sciences at Sussex.

Speaking about the award win, Rachel said: "I never imagined that I would achieve as much as I have and receiving the MacQuitty prize has taught me to believe in myself. Thank you to Dr Johnathan MacQuitty for such a generous contribution which I will use for training that will enable me to become an educator myself. I feel extremely privileged to be the winner of the 2020 MacQuitty Prize for the Sciences. It is an honour to be a part of such a legacy."