Achieving great things in and out of school led to budding photographer Emma Jarvis being a Bernard Matthews Youth Awards winner – and now the Thorpe St Andrew student is furthering her ambitions with an African adventure.
Emma, now 19, was one of a number of young people celebrated for their achievements at the 2012 Bernard Matthews Youth Awards in association with the Eastern Daily Press. Now the awards are looking for more talented young people from Norfolk and Suffolk to enter the 2013 awards.
Emma, a former Thorpe St Andrew School pupil and who hopes to pursue a career in photography, won the £1,000 educational achievement prize after impressing the judges with her excellence in her A-level studies while also doing great things outside of school, including coaching gymnastics, competing regionally and nationally in sports acrobatics, and gaining first aid and lifeguard qualifications. She had also set up an exhibition of her photographic work at Norwich Arts Centre.
Since the awards Emma has achieved first class marks in the first year of her photography degree at Plymouth University, and yesterday she set off on a four-week adventure in Mozambique and Swaziland where she will be doing a photography project and teaching sports to children in schools and orphanages.
Just before heading off, Emma spoke of what winning a Bernard Matthews Youth Award had meant to her.
'Winning the award was great. It was a real surprise, and definitely a confidence boost,' she said, adding that she would encourage more young people to enter.
'The prize enabled me to buy an amazing camera which has helped me with my degree.
'I got full marks and a first in the first year of my photography degree.'
This year's Bernard Matthews Youth Awards' categories include food, farming, sport, community, charity, arts, bravery and education, with each offering a £1,000 prize. There will also be an overall Bernard Matthews Young Person of the Year Award.
Young people aged 11 to 18 from Norfolk or Suffolk can enter or be nominated. The closing date is Friday, August 16. For more on how to enter, or to nominate someone, visit www.bmyouthawards.com or call 01603 706566. Follow @BMYouthAwards on Twitter.
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