A DETERMINED student from Alcester is on the path to success despite his GCSE results ‘nightmare’.
Will Wren described GCSE exams as ‘a small quiz after five years of continuous hard work’ after not receiving the results he needed for an A-Level course. Despite his disappointment, the 18-year-old went on to study business at Stratford College and achieved a distinction in business, before successfully applying for an accounting and finance degree.
He said: “I was gutted on results day but I’m so glad it happened because it worked out for the best. Being assessed by what is essentially one small quiz after working hard for five continuous years at school isn’t the best indication of one’s success.”
During his course, tutor Tom Collins encouraged Will to apply for a work placement at Crowne Plaza Hotel where he was offered a finance position and later a part-time paid position. He credits his success to lessons on his course dedicated to interview skills development.
Will’s course also involved creating his own mock business and pitching it to employers in a Dragon’s Den style setting, as well as fund-raising events he organised with his classmates for The Myton Hospices.
Will added: “The course assesses you through assignments throughout the year and so I always knew how I was doing, and it prepared me for the university assignments I’m having to do now. When covid hit and my friends studying A-Levels found themselves lost, I was at ease and didn’t have anything to worry about. I am so glad that what first felt like a nightmare on GCSE results day turned into my own little success story.”
