For Ashley Collar, embracing her working-class roots, hyperfeminine style, and neurodiverse identity has become a powerful act of representation. From pink heels to fast-paced playlists, she’s built a research and teaching practice that works for her and shows students they can do the same.

Coming from a working-class background, Ashley is acutely aware that academia often feels like unfamiliar territory. From the language used to the unwritten rules of networking, the culture can be alienating. But instead of adapting to fit in, she’s chosen to stand out. Embracing her accent, bold style, and lived experience as assets, not obstacles.

Her role as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) reflects this, she brings authenticity to the classroom, helping students feel seen and supported. Her ADHD and Dyslexia, diagnosed later in life, have also shaped how she approaches her work. Using colour-coded plans and text-to-speech tools, these strategies improve her research and connect with students managing their own learning paths. It highlights that everyone works and learns differently, and that’s perfectly acceptable.

She emphasises that Academia needs to do more to support and keep individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds, and to demystify academia as a middle-class environment.

“I didn’t actually know what a PhD was before it was spelt out to me by my now PhD supervisor. I think that’s a common experience amongst many working-class students, as many of us are first-generation. There’s a lot more that can be done to provide equal access to such knowledge, to level the playing field, so to speak. Academia is no longer a middle-class club.

Embedding discussions about postgraduate study and career opportunities into the curriculum- for example, through weekly seminars or dedicated sessions at the end of term – would help ensure all students are equipped to make informed choices about their future, especially given the competitiveness of the current postgraduate job market.”

Spotting a student’s potential and offering guidance can unlock opportunities they may never have imagined. For Ashley, this is not just an extra responsibility but a core part of what it means to be an academic. Mentoring, she explains, is about more than giving advice – it’s about building confidence, encouraging ambition, and helping students navigate choices they might not otherwise have considered. She believes that even the smallest gestures of encouragement can have a profound impact, enabling students to recognise strengths they may have overlooked and empowering them to take the next steps in their academic journey.

“Representation matters. For students, seeing someone who looks and sounds different from the ‘academic mould’ sends a message: that they don’t have to hide their background, identity, or style to be respected.  They should be proud of who they are and their journey so far. Many students are still figuring out how they want to express themselves, and if they see me doing it authentically- researcher, teacher, pink heels and all – it gives them permission to do the same.”

Collar suggested introducing mentoring schemes to match students based on their backgrounds and interests, as well as postgraduate research admissions processes that consider factors such as race, class, and neurodiversity. By doing so, she believes HE institutions can create a fairer system that recognises talent in all its forms and opens up opportunities for students who may feel otherwise overlooked.

Her recommendation for those wanting to understand these challenges more deeply is We’ll See Things They’ll Never See: Sociological Reflections on Race, Neurodiversity and Higher Education by Jason Arday and Chantelle Lewis. Newly released and available at the University library, the book explores how marginalised identities shape academic life and why representation is essential for change.

As Ashley puts it:

“Academia doesn’t just need brilliant minds, it needs diverse personalities, styles, and perspectives.”

• Read more about Ashley’s research.
• Watch Ashley’s interview here:

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