A day in the life of an Eagle: Ahlam’s story

Ahlam Ismail, a current Eagle, is nine months into her Eagles role. She is currently a graduate trainee with The Big Alliance, working primarily on Team Challenges.

In 2005, while Destiny’s Child wore their final matching outfits and YouTube saw its first upload, something else quietly began in east London. Sally Roberts, working on a social mobility programme, launched what would become ELBA’s Eagles CSR Programme. At a time, when young people from disadvantaged backgrounds faced real barriers in accessing corporate careers, Eagles opened a new pathway.

The UK has long struggled with social mobility, with class and geography shaping opportunity. Eagles was designed to challenge that. Since its creation, the programme has supported countless young people into careers with a wide range of corporates.

Maryam, now at SLR Consulting, says the programme helped her ‘gain confidence and access new networks’. Salma, at Zurich, reflects on how Eagles ‘built a foundation not just for my career, but for my sense of belonging’.

More than a job opportunity, Eagles is a community. For those entering unfamiliar professional spaces, it offers guidance, shared experience and long-lasting support.

In 2023, I graduated from King’s College London with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. I had always been interested in CSR and so decided to apply to the CSR Eagles programme. It was a rigorous process to get to the end, as I had to go through multiple stages and interviews. And that’s how my Eagles journey began.

Here’s what a typical day looks like for me as an Eagle:

9:00am – I quickly catch-up with my team before logging on.

10:00am – Off to a check-in today with some Macquarie volunteers. They are participating in a team challenge, helping with the green space in Caledonian Park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11:00am – Head back to the office. I begin working on a branding project, creating visuals and reviewing feedback with my team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12:30pm – Lunch break, often with a quick walk or chat with a colleague. Today, we took a nice stroll along the canal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2:00pm – Team meeting to share updates and brainstorm new ideas.

3:30pm – Have a virtual meeting with my colleagues about the new website design. Catch-up on emails and prepare for tomorrow.

4:30pm – It is almost the end of the day. My team and I are preparing for a community forum, so we discuss our presentations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5pm – It is now the end of the day. A great end to a busy day.

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