Amber McFayden

Amber is a student at Hugh Baird College in Liverpool. As someone who is diagnosed with autism, Amber has faced many challenges in her daily life, not least in her studies and social interaction at her FE College.

In addition, Amber has identified as a Selective Mute for over six years, meaning that she would only communicate ’non-verbally'.

Having elected to join the Digital Skills Project in 2023, Amber was made Project Manager of her team (A.I.D.A.) and steered her group through the hard but rewarding work designing and developing a digital solution to the problem of Addiction, as it affects young people (16-19 years).

During the first three months of 2024, she attended all the workshops and presentations and participated fully in all the project-related meetings & other activities, in addition to her other college responsibilities.

At the Project Final, held at the offices of Wavemaker in London, Amber led her team and presented to the audience of over 150 students, judges and stakeholders (daunting for almost anybody!), and not only presented, but shared her mischievous sense of humour whilst faultlessly speaking in public.

Amber’s team won the Best Run Project award, and personally received the 2024 Alan Livett Award.