Daniella might look like any young person getting a degree at the University of Arts London (UAL), but her life was not always easy and it was often filled with violence.
Daniella is now a young woman, who with help from Fight 4 Change, has managed to get a scholarship and to go to university despite being a young single mum who used to get in trouble with the odd fracas and cautions from police.
From the age of 15 Daniella got involved with the boxing charity at the Black Prince Community Hub where she met Rebecca Donnelly, a youth worker and CEO of the Fight 4 Change (F4C) charity, who helped Daniella on the right pathway by offering sports coaching courses and youth work.
“I’m very confident now,” said Daniella. “I can thank Rebecca and the other guys from F4C for this incredible change, since I started to come here as a 15 year old I’ve managed to get a strong CV by volunteering and being open minded to more things.”
The now 21-year-old struggled to find direction after finishing Six-form getting her head around what was right and wrong, Daniella started a relationship with a guy that ended and left her pregnant. At 19 she gave birth to her son, Raheem and is raising him as a single mum whilst putting herself through university.
After the baby was born, she started coming to F4C again and started to volunteering at the office again and at some sessions, she started putting to use the qualifications she had gained; Boxing Tutor Award 1 in 2011, Non-contact boxing, Gym Instructor level 2 and Introducing to Youth Work.
“I’ve done so much like gaining qualifications, people skills and confidence and I’ve been encouraged to be open minded to new things, not just sport related things.” Said Daniella.
“Since I met her as a 15-year-old troubled youngster she has really grown and matured with time.”
After that Daniella went to college to study Media and Performing Arts at Peckham Academy before getting the Scholarship to do a BA in Advertising at university where she currently is studying in her second year.
Rebecca Donnelly, who met Daniella through the F4C charity, is proud to see the development the young woman has gone through and believe that her bubbly and outgoing personality will help her to do something amazing.
“Daniella is a very special young woman,” said Rebecca Donnelly. “Since I met her as a 15-year-old troubled youngster she has really grown and matured with time.
“Daniella has come such a long way she is still feisty, but in more mature way and she is using her bubbly and outgoing personality in a positive way. I’m very proud of her and what she has achieved.”