Sheffield businesswoman’s school talk axed – because she didn’t go to university

A Sheffield businesswoman had a school lecture with pupils axed – after bosses found out that she didn’t go to university.
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28-year-old Lucy Arnold was preparing to speak to pupils – but the plug was pulled after staff realised that she wasn’t a graduate.

Now the leisurewear firm boss has reassured pupils that they don’t have to go to uni to be a success after the ban.

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Lucy Locket Loves her active wear brand
Lucy Arnold.Lucy Arnold.
Lucy Arnold.
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Lucy, who runs Lucy Locket Loves, was stunned when she received an email from the school cancelling the planned chat.

Managing director Ms Arnold said she received an email cancelling her appearance after she told a business studies teacher she did not attend university.

It read: ‘Hi Lucy, sorry to mess you around but the head of department has decided that he doesn’t think it’s beneficial to the students to be having a lecture off somebody who hasn’t actually been to university as we feel it won’t encourage these kids down the university route and those are the role models we are looking to showcase.

“I just presumed you had a degree as you are so good at what you do so I’m shocked to hear you haven’t.”

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Revealing the snub in a blog post, she said it was unfortunate the students would not get to hear a different perspective because she had known a lot of people who had been successful without attending university.

Her readers backed her up, adding Virgin boss Richard Branson and Apprentice host Alan Sugar were examples of this.

She wrote: ‘Seriously the stuff that arrives in my inbox makes me question so many things sometimes – whether it’s being body shamed, shamed for being a women or the fact that I’ve built an amazing business without a degree. ‘Don’t let anybody dull your sparkle – EVER!’