For the love of Peterhouse

Peterhouse, Cambridge’s oldest College, has seen waves of progress sweep through its halls in the past few decades. Sarah Ransome (Peterhouse 1987) and Sophia Ewulo (Peterhouse 1996) share their experiences of this time of transition and how, decades on, they have continued to champion progress as members of the Peterhouse Society Committee.

Whilst Sarah’s term came to an end in September 2025, Sophia continues to support collaboration and representation at the heart of the Committee’s work.

Change and tradition: a winding road to Cambridge

Sarah was part of a new ripple of voices at Peterhouse, arriving from a state school in Staffordshire in the College’s third year of admitting undergraduate women.

“My dad gave me a lift to my interview, which was quite a long journey from the Midlands before the A14 was built! When I matriculated, there weren’t many female undergraduates, and all-male dining societies still existed.”

Even though finding enough women for a team proved a challenge, Sarah’s fondest memory is of rowing. “My crew won our blades in the Lent bumps in 1988. I bought a blade, which was a lot of money, but I’m glad I did: memories come and go, so it’s lovely to have a physical reminder of our achievement.”

Cambridge taught Sarah perseverance and versatility. “They give you an impossible reading list, and you try your best to focus, use your time efficiently, whilst also trying to have a social life and look after yourself.

It was excellent life training for juggling everything, and it demonstrated that if you work hard, with good teaching, you can achieve amazing things.”

Not least, her time at Peterhouse helped boost her self-confidence and prepare her for her work as a chartered accountant and later in corporate stockbroking: “the trading floor was just a sea of men!”

One of a kind: defying expectations

Nearly ten years later, Sophia paved her own path to Cambridge and found that, like Sarah, she brought a new voice. “Cambridge was a leap in the dark. I grew up in Brixton, South London.

I came from a family where no one had been to university before, and I went to a failing school: I was the only person in my year to get 8 GCSEs at grades A to C.”

Peterhouse’s history and intimacy appealed. “It was the complete opposite of my circumstances. You can thrive and be yourself, and there’s such a rich history to the College.”

The College’s history took a giant step with her arrival: “I believe I was one of the first Black women at Peterhouse, and there were not many women in my year. Out of my entire law cohort, I was the only Black student.”

Accustomed to triumphing over adversity, Sophia was motivated to forge new opportunities for less represented groups. “I set up a women’s law society with two good friends and became Vice President. It was the first society for women lawyers at Cambridge. I believed we needed it because women’s career trajectories can be quite different to men’s, and we face unique challenges.”

“I volunteered in a homeless shelter called Winter Comfort because homelessness was an issue very close to my heart. I did an overnight shift to get a feel for what homeless people go through and what the problems are.”

As with Sarah, Sophia’s Cambridge experience helped her build a firm foundation for future challenges: “Cambridge has given me the ability to reflect, analyse where I’m going, and, sometimes, retrace my steps.

The critical thinking Cambridge instilled has been useful for criminal law, and indeed all aspects of my life.”

Reconnecting with Cambridge

Not surprisingly, both alumnae became fully immersed in their careers and busy lives. Sarah recalls, “I had little to do with Cambridge for around 20 years after graduation because I was focused on my career and family.”

Sophia agrees, “When I graduated, I got caught up in life: qualifying to be a lawyer, being a wife, being a mother, doing things in my church. University ends up in the rear-view mirror.”

But times and life stages change, and both alumnae have built new bridges to the College. Sarah explains, “A committee member from my matriculation year told me that they had space for volunteers. I got voted in, and I’ve been a member since 2018. It pushed me to attend the College events, and now I go to as many as I can.”

“There was a concert in February 2025 featuring an all-female choir singing Vivaldi’s Gloria, as well as music by female composers like Anna Bon and Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre. The concert was organised by an inspiring female undergraduate who runs Peterhouse Music Society.”

Sarah later encouraged Sophia to join the Committee. “In the last five years, I’ve been to Cambridge more than ever. Sarah told me I’d be great in the Peterhouse Society”, Sophia adds.

She elaborates, “The Committee is an ideal way of connecting the College to alumni, and it’s amazing because it also reached out to me to join.”

The Committee: a force for change that keeps progress moving

Representation is at the heart of both Sarah’s and Sophia’s work on the Committee. Sarah remarks, “I feel it’s good to have a female state school voice on the Committee as there’s still a lot to be done in terms of diversity and equality.”

Sophia agrees, “When you have a seat at the table, you’re able to speak and to hear what’s going on. Being on the Committee has enabled me to see issues that we can help to address.”

As part of celebrating Peterhouse’s growing diversity, they are both passionate about making the College’s events accessible to all. Sophia explains, “It’s important to acknowledge that, during a cost-of-living crisis, money can be a big deal for people, which can sometimes stop them from attending.”

Sarah adds, “We’ve been coming up with different initiatives such as a mixed price policy to allow younger members to attend and encourage those who can pay more to give more.”

Small actions with a big impact

When it comes to getting involved with volunteering, Sarah and Sophia advise their fellow alumni to start small. Sarah was previously a treasurer and governor on various school boards: “I think doing this first helps you to realise that you can make a difference in this kind of voluntary work.”

Sophia believes volunteering can come in many shapes and sizes. “Volunteering is all about finding the right outlet. It can be in your local neighbourhood or your family. Even just making someone a cup of tea.”

“People think, especially in the social media age, that volunteering has to be glamorous. But it could just be giving some time at a local club or helping a child to read. If you look back, you’ve probably volunteered in some way previously; you just didn’t realise it”, she adds.

Sarah sees volunteering as enriching her own life and that of others. “I’ve formed friendships with different women from a variety of backgrounds, ages, and career trajectories. I’ve also got to know a couple of female fellows at the College and how they’re working to make progress and celebrate women in the College.”

“The Committee's previous Chair, Paula Vanninen, came up with the idea of commissioning a portrait of our much-missed development director, Saskia Murk Jansen, who sadly died in office in February 2024.

We agreed that this was an excellent idea to remember Saskia and to increase the representation of women on the walls of the College; it has been kindly funded by The Friends of Peterhouse.”

The Committee has encouraged Sophia to embrace a collaborative approach. “People have different experiences, and you can learn a lot from them. There are different generations on the Committee, some who are much older than me and some who are younger.

When you have people from a variety of backgrounds, it enriches the College, and it encourages others to get involved.”

Volunteering for yourself and others

Both Sarah and Sophia volunteer on the Peterhouse Society Committee to celebrate progress and pursue further improvements based on their experiences both as students and as alumnae at the College. They see their roles as crucial for representing different groups, whilst also enriching their experience of Cambridge by connecting them with old friends and new faces.

These inspiring alumnae use volunteering as a force for change. No matter how small the action, voluntary acts are ripples in a larger wave of progress.

So, where is change needed in your world?