Two Manx youngsters will be heading off to university for the first time this year with the backing of Medis Limited, a pharmaceutical company based in Douglas.
Part of the worldwide Actavis Group, Medis specialises in the sales and marketing of generic pharmaceuticals in the British Isles and a number of other European markets.
The students, Ayren Kelly and Catherine Willoughby, are the latest recruits to the Medis Student Sponsorship Scheme, which offers talented youngsters financial and practical support during their time at University.
The Sponsorship Scheme, which has been running for three years, provides Manx youngsters with ?5,000 a year to help them with the cost of student life, plus offers guaranteed work experience at Medis’s Douglas headquarters during the University vacations.
Competition for places on the scheme has been intense, and Ayren and Catherine were chosen after a rigorous selection process.
Commenting, Stuart Colligon, Medis’s Managing Director, said, “As a pharmaceutical company based on the Island, we felt it important to invest in young people who want to pursue a career in a biomedical or pharmacological discipline.
"Ayren and Catherine represent some of the best of Manx youth, and we are only too happy to assist them with the cost of university education, and provide them with work experience during the vacations.
"We wish them every success, and look forward to them being part of the company as they go through their time at University.”
Both girls applied for the scheme earlier this year and, after their finishing their A Levels, have been spending time this summer at Medis's offices in Douglas, gaining work experience.
Ayren, who attended Ramsey Grammar School, and who will be studying for a Masters Degree in Pharmacy at Liverpool John Moores University, commented, “Although the Manx Government pays for tuition fees and you can apply for maintenance grants, being accepted onto the Medis Student Sponsorship Scheme is a fantastic opportunity.
"The funding will make a lot of difference, and could mean that we don’t need to take a part time job during term time, allowing us to concentrate on our studies.”
Echoing this point, Catherine, who attended Ballakermeen High School, and who is to study Biochemistry at Manchester University, said, “It’s not only the funding, we are both looking forward to the opportunity to have guaranteed work experience during University vacations.
"Working this summer with the Medis team has been really demanding and interesting – we’ve both learned lots, and feel we have made friends, not just colleagues.”
The scheme requires the youngsters to maintain high standards of academic achievement, and pass all their exams, in order to ensure Medis's continued support.
Both Ayren and Catherine, who are now about to embark on their university careers, are determined to justify the company’s faith in them.
Pictured: Ayren Kelly (left) and Catherine Willoughby.
