Meet the Mentor: Dr Marl’Ene Edwin, FutureEd Awards 2025 nominee

“Holding the Door Open for Others” - a conversation with Dr Marl’Ene Edwin, shortlisted for the FutureEd Best Mentor of the Year Award.

Dr Marl’Ene Edwin, Academic Lead for Goldsmiths Equity Awards and Deputy Director of the Centre for Caribbean and Diaspora Studies, has been shortlisted in the Best Mentor of the Year Category at this year’s FutureEd Awards, which are announced on 29 November. 

Her nomination sits alongside Goldsmiths’ own recognition in the University Pipeline of the Year category, reflecting the university’s commitment to equity, representation, and creating fairer pathways for Black African and Caribbean students. 

We spoke with Marl’Ene about how mentorship became central to her work, and why care, culture, and courage are at the heart of helping students thrive. 

Q: How did your own journey at Goldsmiths shape the way you mentor others? 

A: I sometimes call myself an “accidental academic.” I’m originally from Lewisham and started working at Goldsmiths because it was a short commute…well, it’s turned into quite a journey! I began as an administrator, surrounded by people who all had degrees. That environment inspired me to take my own studies seriously. I completed my MA with distinction, then my PhD, all while working full time. 

That experience gave me a real understanding of what it’s like to juggle priorities, but also how to navigate institutions and contexts that hadn’t been set up with people like me in mind. I know what imposter syndrome feels like, the voice that says, “you don’t belong here.” That’s why I mentor with empathy. I want students to feel seen and supported, to know that their voice and background are strengths, not barriers. 

Q: The Equity Awards have become a powerful model for student support. What difference do you see it making? 

A: The Equity Awards were created to level the playing field for students from the Global Ethnic Majority, and what we’ve built is more than a scholarship programme; it’s a community. 

Students tell me that having someone who looks like them, who understands their experience, has made all the difference. They’ve found belonging, they’ve found confidence, and they’ve found their voice. Our continuation rate for Equity Award scholars quickly hit 100%, which is a statistic I’m proud of because it represents real lives, students who might otherwise have dropped out staying the course and achieving incredible things.  

That’s not just a number, that’s lives changed! 

Many of our Equity Award scholars go on to create new initiatives themselves, like Joquan Johnson’s Symphonic Legends concert, which explored Black identity through orchestral and classical music.  

For me, that ripple effect, of confidence, creativity, and care, is what mentoring is really about. 

Q: What do you hope the future of mentoring looks like at Goldsmiths? 

A: I often say mentoring shouldn’t be something we add on at the end, it should be woven into how we work, teach, and relate to one another. It’s part of our culture, or it should be. Mentorship isn’t just my job; it’s everyone’s business. 

For me, it’s also about sustainability. When I mentor, I’m not only focused on academic success but on helping students build resilience, confidence, cultural literacy, and financial stability. I want them to leave Goldsmiths knowing how to navigate the world and to advocate for themselves. 

The most rewarding part is seeing former mentees become mentors. That’s when you know the work is continuing; that the care, knowledge, and courage you’ve shared are being passed on. 

About the FutureEd Awards 

The FutureEd Awards celebrate Black excellence and recognises innovation, equity, and impact across UK higher education. Goldsmiths has been nominated and shortlisted for two categories this year:  

University Pipeline, celebrating the Equity Awards and pre-university engagement initiatives 

Best Mentor, recognising Dr Marl’Ene Edwin’s transformative support for students.