WINNER:
STUDENT OF THE YEAR
WINNER:
MEGAN KELLY
( PRIOR PURSGLOVE COLLEGE)
A remarkable tale of triumph over adversity saw 19-year-old Megan Kelly pick up the Student of the Year prize. Megan, of Ingleby Barwick, is in her first year at The Queen’ s College, Oxford, studying Spanish and Russian. But even making it through her A levels took immense courage, having been diagnosed with rare and unpredictable health conditions that led to eight hospitalisations in one year alone.
Yet this remarkable young woman is now studying at one of the country’ s leading education establishments – a triumph of ability and determination.
A former student at All Saints Academy in Ingleby Barwick, Megan originally chose to study maths, physics and chemistry at A-level.
But when she decided to switch colleges and subjects – opting instead to study Spanish, classical civilisations and history at Guisborough’ s Prior Pursglove College( part of Atomix Educational Trust) – she knew she’ d found the right place for her.
Megan said:“ I did a complete U-turn and I’ m so glad that I did – I found Prior at the right moment.
“ The health issues were difficult – I was in and out of hospital and ICU, but Prior was amazing. Bad things can happen to you but when you’ re surrounded by such a supportive group of people, it doesn’ t feel that bad.”
Megan’ s love of learning –“ I enjoy learning new things, regardless of what that new thing is,” she says – continues to fuel her desire to achieve.
And with her first year in Oxford going well, she’ s undecided about future plans. She said:“ I quite like the idea of translation, interpretation, foreign policy maybe. But it’ s nice to keep your options open and see where life takes you because you never know what’ s round the corner.”
And looking back on her teenage years, she says she feels“ incredibly grateful” for how things have worked out.
She said:“ I feel so lucky. It’ s rare to find a group of people like those at Prior who help you try to achieve your goals as much as they have with me.”
Sponsored and shortlisted by The Edwin Group
Winner – Prior Pursglove College student Megan Kelly, right, with Sarah Monk, chief strategy officer of category sponsor The Edwin Group.
FINALIST: FINALIST:
Daria Jurkiewicz
( Redcar and Cleveland College)
Wanting to make life better for her and her son, Daria signed up for a beauty course – a lifelong ambition – brimming with enthusiasm and a determination to be the best she could be. Since then, Daria, originally from Poland, has made the most of every opportunity. She juggles the demands of her studies around life as a working mum and brushing up on her English. She is also cultivating the green shoots of her own beauty business and has secured a position as a spa therapist at Saltmoore, Whitby.
Daria’ s passion and motivation are an inspiration to fellow students, teaching staff and, most importantly, her son. Her message to him and others is to believe in yourself and dreams really can come true.
Alisha Massey
( CF Fertilisers / TTE)
A WORD FROM THE SPONSOR
Currently completing her Level 3 mechanical fitter apprenticeship through TTE, Alisha is a standout apprentice at CF Fertilisers and is well on track to become a qualified mechanical fitter with long-term prospects in engineering and operations. Aged 19, she has already achieved multiple distinctions, demonstrated exceptional practical ability and become an inspiring role model for young women in STEM, regularly taking part in outreach and promotional activities.
Reliable, hardworking and with a positive attitude to learning, her story has been featured by Middlesbrough College and Tees Business, and she continues to inspire others through her commitment, resilience and passion for engineering in a traditionally male-dominated workplace.
Sarah Monk, chief strategy officer, The Edwin Group: The stories behind every nomination were powerful, filled with determination, creativity and courage. From young people taking bold first steps to adult learners rewriting their own stories through education, every journey has been remarkable. To all finalists, our huge congratulations – your success inspires others to believe in what’ s possible. Whether you’ re at the start of your journey or discovering new paths in life, keep learning, stay curious and use your strengths to make a difference.
140 | Tees Business