Kaitlyn Ferns, recipient of the Fergal Quinn Award with Michele O’ Keeffe of the Community Training Centre at Clare Youth Centre.
TWO Clare students have been presented the Fearghal Quinn award in recognition of their results in last year’s Leaving Cert Applied.
Kaitlyn Ferns and Katie Hartigan, students at the Clare Youth Service Community Training Centre were awarded the prestigious Fearghal Quinn award.
Presented by the Leaving Cert Applied National Association (LCANA), the Feargal Quinn Awards are presented each year to those students who obtain the top credits in the Leaving Certificate Applied Examination.
The awards are financed by sponsorship from the late Fergal Quinn and are named after the senator and entrepreneur who was the first Chairperson of the steering committee for the new Leaving Certificate Applied when it was first introduced thirty years ago.
Quinn oversaw the roll out of the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme, embedding it in the Irish education system and ensuring its continuing development in the following years.
Kaitlyn Ferns from Ennis is currently involved in The Moving On Programme at Clare Youth Service and has this week commenced work placement with The Clare Echo. She paid tribute to the learning environment at the Community Training Centre at CYS.
“My time doing the Leaving Cert Applied at the Community Training Centre will always be full of memories that I look back on fondly and will forever cherish. The support, guidance and kindness that the staff showed me is unmatched. I have learned a tremendous amount about myself and being in such a supportive environment made my confidence grow more and more every day.
“It is genuinely the most fantastic service and gives young people more options when they feel like there is nothing left for them. If anyone is considering joining the Community Training Centre but is unsure, I can assure you, you won’t regret it”.
Katie Hartigan from Ennistymon is currently enrolled in a PLC course in Tralee for General Nursing and is hoping to gain a place in the Munster Technological University. Katie said that she wouldn’t have been able to get into her current course without encouragement from the Clare Youth Service staff and multiple generations of her family,
“They pushed me towards it and was helping me every step of the way! My family also had a huge role in this, especially my Granny, she drove me to all the interviews and induction days. In the youth centre was where I had the best school experiences. I met loads of new people and formed some good friendships out of it. The tutors especially were the learners’ rocks. They could help you through anything. The employees in reception and the centres cleaners were also so important to me. They would always give you a big smile and tell you to have a good day. I really enjoyed my time in the youth centre and will hold all the memories fondly for the years to come”.
Unfortunately Katie had to miss the award ceremony as the weather alert prevented her leaving Tralee.
Michelle O’Keeffe of the Clare Youth Service, paid tribute to the duo, “Katie and Kaitlyn have been wonderful students with excellent attendance, dedication and commitment to the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme. They have shown great example of how to achieve and progress through Leaving Cert Applied”.
