Essex graduates who were the first in their families to attend university are being highlighted in a national campaign to celebrate their success.

Spearheaded by Universities UK, the initiative emphasises the impact the graduates have had, shedding light on how university education has shaped them.

Two notable Essex alumni are Nobel laureate economist, Professor Sir Chris Pissarides, and environmental activist, Dr Leanne Cullen-Unsworth, co-founder of Project Seagrass.

They are part of the ambitious "100 Faces" campaign, which includes personalities from diverse fields.

Sir Chris, who pursued his undergraduate and Masters degrees at Essex before doing a PhD at the London School of Economics, emphasised the importance of university education.

Sir Chris said: "We are driven by curiosity, progression, and the desire to have a good life.

"There is no better stepping stone to such achievements than your first university.

"I cannot even imagine where I would be without mine."

Rewarded in 2010 for his contributions to the economics of unemployment, Sir Chris was appointed the first Regius Professor of Economics at LSE in 2013, and currently heads the Pissarides Review into the Future of Work and Wellbeing.

Dr Cullen-Unsworth pursued her doctorate at Essex after completing her Masters at Bangor University and undergraduate at Newcastle University.

She discovered her passion for seagrass meadows – a primary focus in her role as CEO of Project Seagrass – while at university.

She said: "I was the first in my family to go to university.

"Studying at university was where I discovered my interest in seagrass meadows which has led on to my research into restoring this important natural resource."

"Having the chance to go to university was so important to me, but it was critical to have received proper funding from my local education authority for my undergraduate degree at Newcastle University.

"Then I was able to secure support for my Masters at Bangor University through NERC and then my PhD at the University of Essex was funded by OpWall."

The campaign underlines the importance of support access, hoping to inspire future generations to realise their graduate potential.