On top of that, his mother introduced him to various genres of music.

At age 22, he decided to pursue a postgraduate degree.

By day, he worked as a PE lecturer, while writing academic papers and studying sociology by night.

Portrait of Jason Arday, who became the youngest Cambridge professor at 37

At some point during his studies, he had to work at supermarkets to pay for his tuition.

I did not have a mentor and no-one ever showed me how to write.

Everything I submitted got violently rejected.

Portrait of Jason Arday, who became the youngest Cambridge professor at 37

One day, the tide turned, and he had his first paper published in 2018.

While he was still studying for his PhD, he drafted a list goals on his bedroom wall.

One read: One day I will work at Oxford or Cambridge.

Now, that dream has come true.

On March 6, he’ll begin his new job at Cambridge University’s Faculty of Education.

Looking back, that was when I first really believed in myself.