Honorary Prize Launched For Students at Yale Sixth Form

An honorary award recognising the work of English Literature students has been launched at Coleg Cambria.

The Rhiannon Hartwell prize, named after a former student, was established to recognise a student who has performed particularly well during their first year studying A level English Literature at Coleg Cambria’s Yale Sixth Form.

21-year-old Rhiannon who attended Yale Sixth Form, is seen as a role model to current students as she went on to achieve a First Class degree in English at Cambridge.

Rhiannon, who is originally from Chirk is now studying for her Masters and specialising in Anglo-Welsh poetry.

Speaking about the award, Rhiannon said it was a ‘strange feeling but a privilege to be recognised as a role model for others’.

She added: “To have a prize in my name is an honour, and I hope I can inspire others to do well at college and enjoy their studies as much as I did whilst at Coleg Cambria.”

The winner of the Rhiannon Hartwell prize for the first time ever was 16-year-old A Level student, Katia Allen from Hawarden.

Katia said that: “Winning this prize was very unexpected but an honour. I really enjoy my studies here at college and hope to go on to university to read English.”

The Deputy Director for Humanities A levels at Yale Sixth, Neil Roberts who was present at the meeting between Rhiannon and Katia along with their teacher Jan Westwood, added: “The English department at Yale has an excellent track record of getting A level students to the top universities, especially Oxford and Cambridge.

“We are particularly keen to use these former students as role models and mentors, in order to motivate more young people in the region to aspire to be the very best.”