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Student of the Year 2008

Mountain Ash Comprehensive School student Souwoon Cho drove away in style in a brand new Fiat 500 on Friday from the Mercure Holland Hotel in Cardiff.

Souwoon Cho won the RCT Griffin Mill Outstanding Student of The Year Award by standing out against 18 other youngsters on Friday 5th September. Souwoon who has been a very active student won the award as a result of the hard work she has put in both academically by achieving 4 A’s in her A-levels and through her extra curricular activities. As well as fulfilling her roles as deputy head girl and school council member, Souwoon played on the school Netball team, played piano as a soloist and part of a group at the Eisteddfod and completed a week at Sutton Trust Summer School in Oxford University studying French.

Souwoon Cho, Griffin Mill Student of the Year Award

Souwoon will take up her place studying a BSc in International Management and French at the University of Bath at the end of the month where her new Fiat will come in useful for those trips home to Mountain Ash.

Souwoon who is used to being in the driving seat, even told her driving examiner what to do, when she decided to open his window instead of her own during her test, luckily he saw the funny side and passed her anyway.

The nineteen nominees were selected by their school peers and teachers as outstanding students in their schools but sadly there could only be one winner of the car.

Councillor Eudine Hanagan, Cabinet member for Education, Skills and Life-long Learning said: "The Griffin Mill Outstanding Student of the Year is one of the highlights of the calendar in Education.

"It is important to recognise and celebrate the achievements of our young people and we are pleased for all of the 19 candidates who were nominated for the 2008 award. This is a fantastic achievement and my congratulations and best wishes for the future go to Souwoon as well as all those who were nominated for this prestigious award. Well done.”

This is the sixth year RCT Griffin Mill have run the event and all Griffin Mill ask of the winner is they don’t plough the car into a wall or ditch. This year all 19 entrants met for the first time at the Vale of Glamorgan for an outdoor activity day in May and they met again at the Mercure Holland House Hotel in Cardiff on Friday.

Griffin Mill Student of the Year Award

Gareth Rees, RCT Acting Service Director for School & Community Learning and Jeff Bunney, service director of Griffin Mill Garages met the pupils in May and interviewed them formally and informally.

Jeff Bunney said: “It was not easy choosing the winner, the calibre of students is so high again this year.”

It wasn’t just about Souwoon on the night though, all the students achievements were recognised. There were spot prizes for Porth County’s Leigh Edwards for his performance at the outdoor activity day, Aberdare Girl’s Abigale Jones for her international achievements at aerobics and Y Pant’s Lauren Harris for making it to the event after arriving back from Sydney at 5.30 am on Friday.

There were also three regional awards, Leigh Edwards from Porth County Community School won the Rhondda region, Rhys Hopes of St John Baptist CIW High took away the Cynon prize and Eleanor West from Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari walked away with the Taff Ely trophy.

All nominees were given £50 vouchers and walked away with caricatures produced on the night.

This article was also featured in Rhonnda Cynon Taf

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