#social-mobility

#social-mobility

And I'm not just talking about random life events, like winning the lottery, I'm thinking about luck in the broader sense of the circumstances into which each of us is born. It took me a while to realise that my journey through life has been eased by several tailwinds. I have had the incredible luck of being born in the UK, in a peaceful period of history.

Middlesex University Needyanand Raya arrived in London from Mauritius in 1999 to complete his master's degree. He was bearing a promise he made his father - to continue his studies "until there will be no examination beyond that to take". More than two decades later, he's now Dr Raya, having completed a doctorate in social policy at the age of 69 at Middlesex University. When asked how he felt about it? "Well, nothing much. It's just an achievement of a lifetime."

It's no secret that knowing the right people can open doors. Now, Gen Zers are attempting to get a fast-track ticket to success by dating people in high places-or "throning," as the viral trend is being called. The new slang term essentially means dating someone who boosts your social status, and nearly 30% of singletons have been using it as a leg up the hierarchy, according to the dating app Plenty of Fish.