High-flying graduate, 22, who acquired job with certainly one of Britain’s high cyber safety companies took her personal life whereas affected by ‘imposter syndrome’

A high-flying graduate who landed a job at one of Britain’s top cyber security firms straight after leaving university took her own life while suffering profoundly from ‘imposter syndrome’.

Amy Havers, 22, was offered a job starting at tech company BAE Digital Intelligence in September last year after excelling during a summer internship while still a student.

But soon, despite positive performance feedback in her new Business Analyst job, she became convinced that she was not doing well, particularly compared to other starters.

She changed from being a ‘bright, charismatic and happy person’ to telling family and friends: ‘I can’t do this. I want out.’

Amy hanged herself in her family home ten months after starting the graduate role, an inquest into her death heard.

Miss Havers had attended the University of Bristol between 2022 and 2025, graduating with a high 2:1 in Business and Management.

Oxfordshire Coroner’s Court heard how she had not suffered any previous episodes of depression and had no relevant medical history prior to joining BAEDI.

But Amy’s father, Lee Havers, told investigators in a statement that Amy was unhappy because she felt she was not performing well compared to other graduates at the company and suffered from imposter syndrome.

Even after seeing a therapist, she couldn’t be persuaded that the only problem with her performance was in her mind.

Her boyfriend of three years, nuclear engineer Daniel Hudson, said they had the ‘perfect’ relationship after meeting at university when he was on the American football team and she was a cheerleader.

But he told the inquest of her time at BAE: ‘She told me she wasn’t contributing but whenever she asked for feedback, it was always that she was doing well.

‘I think she felt like maybe they were lying to her but that wouldn’t have been the case.

‘Amy would often call me on her way home from work crying. On one occasion she called me on the way home and cried the whole way – she must have been crying for about 45 minutes.’

Mr Hudson spoke to his father because he was so concerned about his girlfriend’s state of mind and also messaged her mother Nerys Havers to let her know.

‘She felt she was burdening people talking about how she felt at work,’ Mr Hudson went on.

‘She felt she was always being upset around people and didn’t feel that’s who she was.

“I must have told her at the time that this wasn’t the case, but this was obviously how she felt.’

Mr Hudson came to spend a weekend at Miss Havers’ family home in Sonning Common, south Oxfordshire, last July.

‘I remember thinking I’d never seen her so stressed,’ he said. ‘She was really upset the whole weekend.

‘On the Saturday, Amy said, “I can’t do this, I want out.”’

Miss Havers later repeated the phrase twice more, once in front of her father.

‘I asked if she’d ever had thoughts of hurting herself as I was worried about the comments she’d made that weekend and she said no,’ Mr Hudson said.

‘I said, “If it ever crosses your mind, promise to call me straight away” and she did promise she would.

‘Before I left on Sunday I left her a note on the bedroom table which said “You can do this”.

‘I wrote this on a note from another day where I’d already written “I love you”. I just wanted her to read something encouraging after I’d left.’

After he left Miss Havers’ home on Sunday afternoon, she sent him a Snapchat showing her crying to which he responded but got no reply.

When Miss Havers’ mother Nerys returned home at 6.30pm having been away for the weekend, she found her daughter hanging in the hallway.

Police, ambulances and the air ambulance attended, performing CPR, but she couldn’t be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene.

No note was found either on her phone or in the house.

Toxicology tests were negative for alcohol, drugs and prescription drugs.

Coroner Joanna Coleman recorded a verdict of suicide, saying: ‘I’m satisfied she meant to take her own life.’

Mr Hudson added: ‘Amy was an amazing person. When I went through hard times, she was always there.

‘Amy would have been the best person to spend my life with and likely would have made the best mum.’

A spokesman for BAE Systems said: ‘We are deeply saddened by Amy’s death and our heartfelt condolences go to her family, friends and colleagues.

‘Amy was highly regarded by those who knew and worked with her. Her contribution to the business and the positive impact she had on those around her will not be forgotten.’

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