SECG student recognised in prestigious Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2025

South Essex Colleges Group (SECG) is delighted to celebrate the outstanding achievement of Aaliyah Muili, one of our talented students on the Level 3 Health and Social Care Extended Diploma (Year 1).

Aaliyah has been selected by esteemed judges Colette Bryce and Will Harris as one of the 85 commended poets in the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2025. This year’s competition received an incredible 10,000 entries and over 28,000 poems from young writers all around the world, making Aaliyah’s success an exceptional accomplishment.

Aaliyah is a hardworking and dedicated student who continues to demonstrate her creativity and determination across all areas of study. She previously completed Level 1 English with us last year and is now progressing through her GCSE English course, further developing her passion for language and expression.

Aaliiyah said of her achievement: “A friend encouraged me to enter and it wasn’t until I realised that 28,000 poems had been considered, I thought, wow this is a big deal!” 

SECG is very proud of Aaliyah’s achievement and thrilled to see her talent recognised on such a prestigious, international stage.

Below is the poem that earned her this remarkable honour:

3:42 on a Friday

By Aaliyah Muili

You slam your locker like it owes you money,
and your purple binder spills a worksheet
that still smells like the substitute’s perfume—
the one who said your name like it scratched her throat.
We’re not even out the school gate yet
and Janelle yells,
"Y’all, I ain’t doing a single thing this weekend!"
like it’s a promise,
like doing nothing is holy.
The sun —
hot enough to melt off the week’s bad moods —
hits the back of my neck as I peel off
that itchy school sweater,
the one with my name Sharpied in the collar
because some girl stole mine last term.
Someone’s blasting Burna Boy from a cracked iPhone,
and it smells like sweat and coconut hair oil.
I’m laughing at something stupid —
don’t even know what —
but it feels like the first real breath since Monday.
My bus card’s bent from the pressure
of carrying everyone’s expectations all week.
But for now, it’s just me,
my beat-up trainers,
and two days of being nobody’s perfect student.
At the corner shop, we split a £1 bottle of soda
and dare each other to text people
we swore we were over.
The cashier says,
"Y’all better go home before you break something."
But we already have.
Something inside.
And this walk,
this freedom,
this fried-plantain-stained air —
is stitching it back together.
Friday is not a day.
It’s an exhale.

Congratulations, Aaliyah! Your success is an inspiration to both staff and students across the college community.