A level student Favour is heading to Cambridge University

A Telford College student has secured a place on a prestigious maths training programme at Cambridge University.

Favour Ochonma is in her first year studying A levels in computing, maths and physics at the college’s Wellington campus.

The 16-year-old is among just a handful of top-performing young maths stars to be offered a place on the ‘Women In Mathematics’ residential programme running this summer at the prestigious St John’s College.

The week-long programme is designed to encourage more 16 to 18-year-old females to consider applying to study maths at Cambridge, and features lectures and workshops run by Cambridge academics, students and alumni.

It is targeted at young people who are on track to achieve an A* grade in maths or further maths A levels, and will replicate the undergraduate experience to give a real taste of what it would be like to read maths at the university. 

Favour will join students from all over the world from August 11-17 to tackle a range of maths challenges, and take part in group research projects and social activities led by current St John’s College students.

The Nigerian-born teenager, who moved to Telford early last year and hopes to become a software engineer, said: “I’m so happy to have been accepted. This is going to be an amazing opportunity for me.

“I’m really looking forward to discovering and researching parts of maths that I’ve not experienced before, and meeting up with other women with the same love of maths, like me.”

Telford College maths learner manager Ed Young-Lidard said: “We’re so proud of Favour, who has been brilliant since she arrived to study with us.

“The admissions team at Cambridge commented on how many strong applications they received for this programme, so it is a fantastic achievement to have been selected.”

Favour is also involved in the University of Cambridge’s STEM Smart programme, which offers enhanced learning and encouragement to sixth formers studying maths and science at A-level or equivalent.

Pic: Favour Ochonma