A heart-warming story to come out of today’s A-Level results – a homeless student managed to secure top grades, and a place at Cambridge University.
Jacob Lewis, from Cardiff, managed to achieve four A*s and secure himself a place at Cambridge to study law. He was left homeless after a fall out with his family, and he then lost his zero-hours contract job after he asked for time off to take his exams.
The 22-year-old said:
It’s been a hard fight. At the start of this year I was working 24 hours a week to support my studies and make ends meet, I was barely eating.
At one point I became homeless and had to start sofa surfing. Having a permanent home with my family wasn’t an option.
My daily commute to college was around three-quarters of an hour and I spent twelve hours a day in the college library as it was the only place I could study.
I’m so incredibly grateful to the college for all they did for me. I’m the first in my family to go to university, It’s been a trying time but it has been worth it.
His college helped him out with travel and living expenses, through a student hardship fund, and he spent most of the days in their library studying.
Coleg y Cymoedd – Welsh for Valleys College – principal Judith Evans said she was ‘very proud’ of Jacob’s achievements, as well as everyone’s at the school, saying:
Our exceptional performance at A Level is the deserved reward of two years’ hard work by the learners and staff.
Jacob got four A*s in History, Law, Sociology, and Welsh Baccalaureate. He secured 100 per cent in both History and Law, and is the first student from the college to win a place at Cambridge to study law.
Well done, sir.
