A famous sociologist who was unable to read or write until he was 18 is set to become the youngest black professor at the University of Cambridge, England.
Jason Ardee, 37, was diagnosed with developmental delay and autism spectrum disorder at the age of 3. He didn’t start speaking until he was 11, according to The Guardian.
Next month, Ardi will become a professor of educational sociology, and he hopes his story will inspire others, like himself, from underrepresented backgrounds in higher education.
“My work is focused first on how to open doors to more people from disadvantaged backgrounds and truly democratize higher education,” he explained.
He added, “I hope that being in a place like Cambridge will give me leverage to lead this program both locally and globally.”
Ardi was born and bred in Clapham. He has three brothers. Until the age of 11, he communicated in sign language. The specialists wrongly repeated to his family that he would need lifelong support.
The message he wants to get across is that “anything is possible”. “I knew I didn’t necessarily have a lot of talent, but I knew how much I wanted it and how hard I worked,” added the future teacher, who will take over in March.
