Theo Sergiou

BA PPE 2020

Theo’s launch into Oxford was somewhat unconventional; being diagnosed with a serious illness from childhood, he runs his life and aspirations against the clock of his own biology. He seizes every opportunity, self-instilling a drive to push beyond the bounds set by others; not only pushing his luck (including arriving in Keble a year early), he also pushes Keble to realise its potential. In his first two weeks alone, he led a successful Hall boycott to reduce food prices, one of many transformative campaigns.

Theo’s personal experience with ‘arbitrary traits’ led to his largest impact on Oxford. Proudly he served as Disability Officer for Keble JCR, OULC, the Oxford Union and co-chaired the SU’s Disabilities Campaign, creating an advocacy service which supported over 200 cases a year. When asked to run as JCR President, Theo refused stating that the Disability Officer role had been vacant for two years, but that there has never been a short supply of Presidential candidates. Within academia, he lobbied the Social Policy department for Disability Policy to be taught in Final Honour Schools, being the first to sit the paper and scoring 76. Theo became renowned within the Centre for Teaching and Learning, as he experimented with emerging technologies and innovative educational techniques to widen participation and empower others, eventually receiving a job there.

Outside of University, he was the youngest person in British history to contribute to a N.10 Cabinet Meeting, sparked the free-school-meals campaign and led successful campaigns for a u-turn on U18 free travel. His book Tumor Me is published and available in Keble Library, and he is currently researching implementing Oxbridge-style tutorials for under-achieving young people in London state-schools. Theo is a Trustee of Chickenshed, and President of the Change Foundation, where he strives to revise current exclusions of those with arbitrary traits.