GDST Alumna of the Year Awards 

The GDST Alumna of the Year Awards are an opportunity to celebrate and champion the achievements of the incredible leaders, changemakers and pioneers within the GDST network. Representing more than 100,000 women across the world, the GDST Alumnae Network is the largest organisation of its kind in the country. 

This year’s awards ceremony, hosted at GDST’s HQ in central London and attended by more than 70 alumnae, staff, parents, and donors, saw the Alumna of the Year title handed to Felicity Barber, an alumna of Wimbledon High School and Senior Journalist at the BBC, whose advocacy work as a ‘stambassador’ has raised awareness of stammering.  

Her extraordinary journey has seen her covering many high-profile news stories, including five general elections, the coronation of King Charles and the war in Ukraine – but her most personal project has been creating and presenting BBC documentary ‘I Can’t Say My Name: Stammering in the Spotlight’. The piece came about after she revealed her secret to fellow GDST alumna and BBC presenter, Sophie Raworth (Putney High School) - they swapped roles, with Felicity stepping out in front of the camera to talk about what it is like to live with a stammer. Broadcast on the Six and Ten o’clock news, it was watched live by over 2.6 million people and the response has been incredible - she has been contacted by people from all over the world who found her story inspiring; and she has recently become a ‘Stambassador’ for Action for Stammering Children. 

This is particularly timely – Ms Lewis, Deputy Head (Academic), who introduced oracy and civil discourse to the curriculum here in 2024 through mock elections, debating, and carefully constructed classroom discussions, has recently been reflecting on her approach to ensure it is truly inclusive and does not exclude students with communication needs and differences, particularly the 8% of children who stammer at some point during their childhoods. 

The GDST Trailblazer of the Year Award went to aerospace engineer Maleha Khan (Portsmouth High School), who works for the UK Space Agency, where she plays a pivotal role in facilitating engagements with NASA, the European Space Agency, UK Space Command, and other major space agencies.  

Maleha began her flight training at the age of 15, earning prestigious flying scholarships from the Royal Air Force, the British Women’s Pilots Association, and the Honourable Company of Air Pilots. With a background in Aeronautics and Astronautics and a Master’s in Spacecraft Engineering from Southampton University, her expertise is both vast and specialised. She taught Rocket Science to the top 1% of academically talented women in Saudi Arabia, where she also had the honour of meeting the first Saudi female astronaut over coffee – a testament to her commitment to empowering women in STEM. Breaking barriers in male dominated fields, Maleha has also held the longest tenure in history as a commander of a Royal Air Force University Air Squadron, responsible for training over 75 personnel. Leadership is at the forefront of her experience and future ambitions, embodying the spirit of a true trailblazer. 

Maleha actively promotes diversity and inclusion in the aviation sector, particularly as a Pakistani woman.  

The event concluded with GDST CEO Cheryl Giovannoni celebrating the importance of the GDST Alumnae Network in fostering lifelong connections, and highlighting the transformative impact of philanthropic support, particularly through bursaries that transform the lives of students.