Yolanda named as Future Leader

A MOBO award-winning PhD student from the University of Kent has been named as one of the country's black figureheads.

Trailblazing Yolanda Brown was featured as one of Britain's most outstanding black students in Future Leaders 2010.

The publication, launched by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, honours 30 of Britain's most exceptional black students, who have achieved academic excellence with extraordinary extracurricular achievements.

This year's judging panel included Minister for Higher Education, David Lammy.

Double MOBO (Music of Black Origin) award-winning saxophonist Yolanda Brown released her critically acclaimed debut EP Finding My Voice in 2007.

The 27-year-old student has also toured with The Temptations and recently performed for the Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, at the Winter Palace, St Petersburg.

She is now working on another album and will tour Britain in March this year.

Yolanda was delighted to be included in the Future Leaders list.

She said: "It is an honour to have been included in this publication and very rewarding to be recognised for my achievements so far. I am truly grateful for the support both in academia and music."

The student has also completed a Master's in Management Science, a Master's in Social Research Methods and is studying for her PhD at the University of Kent.

Professor Paul Phillips, Director of Kent Business School at the University of Kent, said: "We are all delighted by Yolanda's success. She has been a great addition to Kent Business School and for her to combine her musical ability as well as work at the highest level of academic study is a fantastic achievement."

Andenike Adenitire, editor of Future Leaders, said: "Future Leaders 2010 profiles some of Britain's brightest students of African and African Caribbean origin. Those featured in the magazine are testament to the fantastic accomplishments of students from across the country, who have balanced great academic grades with remarkable outside achievements."