South Eastern Regional College student selected for prestigious Cambridge University Summer School

South Eastern Regional College A Level student Cassie McKeever has recently returned home after attending a Cambridge University summer school.  Cassie, who was the only student selected from Northern Ireland , was amongst 30 students chosen from Further Education Colleges across the United Kingdom.

It was Cassie’s tutor Graham Greenlee who encouraged her to apply, after sending off her application in April she waited to hear whether she had been accepted or not, but the reply did not come until mid-June, “As soon as I heard I’d got in I phoned my tutor Graham to tell him the good news”

The summer school, which was part of the Arts and Humanities Department took the form of lectures, workshops and debates covering topics such as Creative Writing and Civil Law.  The student is used to exchanging ideas with her fellow South Eastern Regional College pupils and tutors who she describes as being ‘very approachable’, this, she says ‘makes getting your ideas across a lot easier’.

Cassie chose to take her A Levels at the Bangor campus of the South Eastern Regional College as the subjects she wanted to take were not available to her at her school.  The student chose to take AS Levels in English Literature, Politics, History and French, she is returning in September to complete her A Levels after securing excellent grades which included two A’s with the possibility of also taking an AS Level in  Religious Education.

The student who has a keen interest in Philosophy and is hoping to study the subject at University is currently learning the African Language of Swahili as she is interested in undertaking volunteer work in Africa after she completes her studies. She is also off to Paris soon, staying beside the Sorbonne University to get a feel for French student life.

Of her experience Cassie added, “The opportunity came up as it is aimed at Further Education Colleges like the Bangor campus of the South Eastern Regional College so I wouldn’t have been able to do it if I’d still been at school.”