Whitney grew up in a low-income household with her mother and step-father. Being raised by a single mum for the first half of her life, and then seeing her step-father work three different jobs in order to provide for the family, demonstrated to Whitney that having a strong work ethic is pivotal to achieving your goals. From a young age, her mother and step-father encouraged Whitney to make the most of her education, despite attending a school in an area where there was a severe lack of opportunities for students to take advantage of.

At secondary school in Barking and Dagenham, Whitney had a hugely supportive Biology teacher who brought the subject to life for her. The teacher helped her to set goals and see the bigger academic picture; Whitney was able to move beyond the lack of social capital she had exposure to because her teacher went out of their way to provide her with the motivation to surpass her own expectations. Despite this, there were still several teachers who were not as invested in their students' potential, nor as forthcoming with careers advice and extra help. During one parents' evening, Whitney was told by a teacher that she was 'initially perceived as the naughty kid causing trouble' as a result of her natural confidence. This reaffirmed her desire to outperform and do her best, and she resolved not to fulfil this negative stereotype.

Whitney went on to achieve the highest grades in Biology in her year group and took up an offer to study Biology at Bristol University. She has been one of two people of black heritage on her course and is currently the only female student of black heritage on the Biology course. Her social background and race came to the forefront of her identity at Bristol University as a result of its lack of diversity, motivating Whitney to get involved with the African Caribbean Society, where in her second year, she became a 'parent' to first year black students.

University has provided Whitney with a variety of opportunities. In her first year, she volunteered in Cambodia for three months as a Project Worker with Voluntary Service Overseas. She worked with the International Citizen Service and raised over £900 for charity before being placed in Cambodia. During her time abroad, Whitney was integrated with local families, giving English lessons and careers advice to young students. She established a relationship with the local university to allow pupils to take part in vocational courses to gain work experience. Whitney has also been involved with the Social Mobility Foundation (SMF) – she was able to put the leadership and careers-advice skills she gained with SMF to good use in Cambodia.

Whitney applied for the UKNEST and Lloyd's Register Foundation Scholarship for STEM success and academic potential in 2016. She received an interview, but was ultimately rejected. She was determined to re-apply the following year, certain that her hard work and resilience would earn her the prize. Her perseverance paid off, and in 2017 she was awarded the scholarship and became the only person of colour to receive it. The award gave her access to her first female STEM mentor, who provided essential role-modelling for Whitney. She was also given the opportunity to take the Bristol Plus Award, a programme which gives students at Bristol the chance to develop employability skills, in preparation for applying to internships and work experience placements. Most students take a year to complete this; Whitney completed the award in the span of a month, having worked hard to prepare for a range of financial work experience placements.

Last year, Whitney completed two summer internships and has since gained four graduate offers with PwC, Goldman Sachs, the Civil Service and the Bank of England. She has decided to take up her most recent graduate offer with the Bank of England in the Banking Supervision stream. Whitney's achievements are a testament to her work ethic and grit. She has been able to push through difficult financial and social barriers, while maintaining her ultimate goal of becoming the best version of herself.