A former student from Ystrad Mynach College has joined the US Navy making sure its nuclear ships and submarines are kept going.
Stephanie Greig, from Hengoed, has been accepted into the Nuclear Power Propulsion Programme just two years after completing her AS Levels. The position sees her on Navy ships overseeing the nuclear power plant.
Stephanie, 19, started AS Levels in Law, English, Maths, Biology and Chemistry at the college after completing her GCSEs at Lewis Girls School.
In her assessment for the Navy, Stephanie achieved a 90% mark. Stephanie spent eight weeks at the Great Lakes US Navy training facility in Illinois before transferring to Charleston to undertake 18 months of training in Nuclear power.
Out of the class of 600, Stephanie graduated 100th in her class as a Petty Officer and will now put her extensive training into practice learning and operating on a live nuclear reactor in either New York or South Carolina.
The next step will see Stephanie joining a nuclear aircraft carrier in the Pacific, as one of only a few women that will ensure the Nuclear Propulsion Systems aboard are kept running and safe.
Alison Roberts, Head of School for General Education said: “Steph is a conscientious, likeable young woman. At the time we thought she was mad to not to complete her A Levels and to leave at the end of AS year to join the US Navy.
“It was certainly an unusual decision for one of our learners, although we never had any doubt that Stephanie would achieve anything she set her mind to. How wonderful to see her recent success and we wish her many more in the future.”