Alumni Spotlight: Farouk Suleiman-Fatai, LAET Alumnus of the Year 2025
This July, at our annual Alumni Networking Event, LAET crowned Farouk Suleiman-Fatai as its first-ever Alumnus of the Year. Tottenham Hotspur Ambassador and former captain Ledley King joined us at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to present the award, underscoring the enduring partnership between our school and both Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and Tottenham Hotspur Foundation.
Farouk’s journey began when he entered care at eight and was welcomed into the Foundation’s “To Care Is To Do” programme. That early support fuelled his determination, helping him achieve outstanding GCSEs and secure a place at LAET, where he balanced A-levels in Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Economics with part-time work in the Spurs Shop, learning valuable customer-service and teamwork skills along the way.
After completing his A-Levels in 2021, Farouk pursued a degree in Economics and Management at the University of Bristol, supported by a scholarship from leading London banking firm Natixis Investment Managers. Since graduating in 2024, he has been thriving in his role as a Portfolio Analyst at Natixis.
Farouk remains a devoted ambassador for LAET. He returns each term to deliver career talks, mentor current students and sit on networking panels. His recent contributions include co-hosting our spring career fair and joining staff and alumni in a Tottenham Foodbank fundraiser, embodying the spirit of community engagement we encourage in all our students.
When Ledley King surprised Farouk with the Alumnus of the Year award, recalling their first meeting at a Foundation event when Farouk was just twelve, the room erupted in applause. “I genuinely didn’t expect this,” Farouk admitted. “I am extremely grateful, and it was such a pleasant surprise to be given the award by Ledley. I am lost for words.”
Farouk’s story is just one of many that showcase LAET’s mission: to empower young people from north Tottenham through academic excellence, community partnership and sustained mentorship. To read more about Farouk’s remarkable journey and his impact beyond our walls, visit the Tottenham Hotspur website or watch the video below.