Determination to succeed and drive to achieve made the Role Model award winner stand out from the rest.
Emma Collingwood has cerebral palsy and is a wheelchair user. But the 22-year-old didn’t let this stop her doing what she wanted to do.
Emma went to mainstream school in Cramlington and managed to achieve 13 GCSEs and four A-Levels. She went on to study French with business at university, commuting daily and embracing both the work and social aspect of her course. As part of the degree, she needed to complete a placement in the country of her target language so she chose to study at the University of Dijon. After a year of planning, she left accompanied by two support workers and immersed herself in French culture for nine months, travelling across France and to Switzerland.
On July 15 this year, Emma graduated with a first class honours degree in French with business and all her family and friends are incredibly proud of her achievement.
After picking up her award, sponsored by the Berwick Advertiser, Emma said: “I would like to say a massive thank-you to all the amazing people that have supported me, all of my family and friends, my mum, my support workers and everyone that has encouraged me.
“Mainstream school is all I have known and it’s been great. Everyone has been really amazing.”
Also nominated: Gordon Webster, from Warkworth, for his work in the community, and George Murray, from Wooler, who was described as ‘always kind and helpful’.