Three students in Wrexham will be heading to Oxford and Cambridge this September.

Megan Kocker, Cadence Thompson and Joe Williams, who are all students at Coleg Cambria’s Yale site, have been offered places at two of the world’s leading universities, and are thrilled!

Megan, 18, is currently taking A Levels in English Literature, History, Maths, Welsh Second Language and Welsh Baccalaureate and will study Law at Selwyn College, Cambridge.

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The Leader: Megan KockerMegan Kocker

A former pupil at Ysgol Bryn Alyn, she said: “Before starting my GCSEs I didn't really know much about the universities of Oxford or Cambridge and nobody in my family has ever been to university, so it was only after one of my teachers suggested I had the potential that I made it my aim to do so.

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“I travelled down to Cambridge with my parents last summer and loved it, so to later receive an offer and be able to tell them the news was an amazing moment.”

Megan added: “I owe a thanks to the staff at Cambria, who were invaluable in helping me navigate my way through the demanding Oxbridge application process.

“My subject tutors have been fantastic and always willing to go the extra mile to offer support over the last two years, and I've loved my time at the college as a result. 

“My ambition is to practise law as either a solicitor or a barrister, so I’m embarking on my degree with an open mind about where the future will take me and really looking forward to this next chapter in my life.”

Cadence, who is studying A Levels in English Language, English Literature, and Film, is looking forward to life at Oxford University, where she will begin a degree in Japanese Studies.

Her dream is to become an interpreter or work in an academic post in the Far East; she thanked tutors for the “incredible support” received during her time at Cambria.

“Attending Oxford University always felt like a far-off dream, I thought I'd just end up applying for the sake of it,” she added.

“When it became a reality that I could end up there I was delighted.”

Meanwhile, 18-year-old Joe, who attended Maelor School in Penley, will study Linguistics at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, on completion of A Levels in French, English Language and Media, and AS Level Welsh Second Language.

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The Leader: Joe Williams Joe Williams

He hopes to go on and become a lecturer and researcher in Linguistics.

“Coleg Cambria has been really supportive ever since I arrived, and I have received great advice and encouragement throughout the application and interview processes,” said Joe.

“The team definitely made it a lot less scary for me, which I am very grateful for.”

He added: “I have always liked Cambridge as a city but never saw myself fitting in as a student there until recently, when I visited on a whim and found it is a lot more of a diverse and friendly environment than I expected, which was something very important in my decision to apply there - I can’t wait to get started.”

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Simon Woodward, Assistant Principal and Head of Yale Sixth Form, congratulated Megan, Cadence and Joe on their success and wished them well for the future.

He said: “All three are an inspiration and have worked so hard to get to this point.

“We are very proud of them and also of the incredible team here at Yale who do all they can to ensure the learners have the very best opportunity to follow their chosen career path – thank you.”