Alumnae Spotlight: Honey Gabriel

Honey Gabriel Class of 2010

Born in Nigeria but raised in South London, Honey graduated from Drama Studio London in 2019. After leaving Croydon High in 2010, she initially studied Economics at Loughborough University and worked in private equity for four years.

Although she graduated from drama school just before the pandemic hit, Honey has had the opportunity to work on numerous projects, including BBC One’s Doctors, Home Box Office’s (an American premium tv network) The Nevers and a big Christmas commercial campaign for the software firm ServiceNow. One of the things she’s most proud of is her work with The Show Must Go Online, which performed the entirety of Shakespeare’s First Folio via Zoom. She was a part of four shows, playing most notably Paulina in The Winter’s Tale.

As acting can be transient work, Honey also works with DoThinkDo as a corporate coach, teaching communication and impact skills and as their DEI ( Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) manager as they pivot to doing DEI the DoThinkDo way. DoThinkDo has delivered transformational learning experiences using their smart thinking, innovation and creative flair to help over 100 organisations, including Google, VMO2 and the NHS, unleash their people’s potential, power their performance, and embed lasting cultural change.

She also pursues assistant director and producer opportunities to explore more sides of her creativity. Honey describes herself as a storyteller. And although she would love to do more TV and film work, she’s more focused on telling stories that fill people’s hearts, whatever medium that might be in.

Honey’s fondest memories from Croydon High are actually from her time in the Junior School, where the girls would set up shops in the trees on the grounds to sell daisy chains and pretty stones they’d found. She recalls the creative and entrepreneurial spirit being encouraged and fostered. She believes Croydon High instilled a can-do, go-getter, anything-is-possible mindset in her from an early age.

On many occasions, Honey has visited Croydon High school to talk to groups about her career as an actor and voiceover artist, plus as a delegate at network breakfasts and careers conventions. She recently spoke to a group of Year 9 and Year 10 pupils, sharing some of the challenges and the high points of her career, giving pupils a positive and realistic view of working in the arts. It was interesting to hear how although she performed in almost every school play (specifically remembering playing Meg in Our Country’s Good), Honey had not thought about a career in acting while at Croydon High and, in fact, first worked in private equity! Honey was incredibly inspiring, showing our pupils what can be achieved with tenacity, determination, and hard work.

If Honey could tell her 15-year-old self anything, it would be that the future is not fixed and it is okay to love maths and drama. They aren’t mutually exclusive and actually make for a well-rounded creative.

Honey really does feel like one of the family; we are so grateful for her continued support of Croydon High.

Mrs Roe
Alumnae Relations Manager