On Monday the sixth form had the privilege of hearing Emma Cole speak about her experience with HIV and how it has affected her life. She was diagnosed with HIV early in life and expressed how it changed her mindset and forced her to live every day to the fullest. Even though over 105,200 people in the UK alone are diagnosed as HIV positive, it is still a heavily stigmatised disease which is not openly discussed.

Emma has dedicated her life to educating as many people as she can about the struggles of living with HIV, but she also aims to convey that it far from a death sentence. She has lived 30 years, despite being given 10 years to live following her diagnosis! We want to thank Emma for her honest and enlightening presentation her positivity and openness is incredibly inspiring, and she has shown that simply starting a conversation about HIV can make all the difference.

Jane Melchers, Assistant Head of Sixth Form