Hackney student celebrates Cambridge success

One of the first students from his school to take A-levels and go to university has received an award for excellence from St John’s College.

Michael Ha, from Hackney, attended Mossbourne Academy and was among the first pupils from his school to go on to study at university. He was offered a place at St John’s to read Medicine, where he recently graduated with an intercalated degree in History of Art.

Michael became a high-achieving student, committed to encouraging other young people of all backgrounds to apply to Cambridge. He regularly took part in University-wide access events, acting as a “CAMbassador” for Cambridge’s Admissions Office. Michael also became the Oxbridge Ambassador to the Hackney Access Initiative, as well as helping to create and run a “Medical School Masterclass” to inform and inspire future medical students.

In his third year, Michael took the risk of switching subject, changing from the sciences to study History of Art, and went on a Grand Tour of Europe, supported by the College, to supplement his cultural outlook. He wrote his dissertation on the accuracy and impact of anatomical drawings by the notoriously difficult Italian artist Antonio del Pollaiuolo. Michael also recently completed a research placement with Columbia University, where he worked on a project analysing how ultrasound can diagnostically map the topology of the eye. 

Michael plans to return to the world of medicine and complete his clinical studies at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, regarded as one of the best teaching hospitals in the country.

Michael said: “Coming from Hackney to Cambridge has been a fantastic journey and I’m grateful for all the opportunities and support that St John’s College has given me as a student here. I am very glad to be a part of such a prestigious institution and I’m committed to encouraging teenagers from all sorts of backgrounds to follow their dreams and consider applying to Cambridge”.

The Larmor Awards, presented annually by the Master, are given to students who excel in both academic achievements and contribute to the life of the College. The awards are named after the twentieth-century physicist and mathematician Sir Joseph Larmor, FRS, a former student at St John’s who made great innovations in the understanding of electricity and thermodynamics. Nominees for the awards are recommended by a committee of both College Fellows and undergraduate students, based on “intellectual qualifications, moral conduct and practical activities”. Winners receive an engraved silver prize as well as a financial reward.