A FORMER Weaverham High School pupil has received a prestigious award.

Gareth Pym recently graduated from Loughborough University with a Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering.

Last month the former Hartford Primary and Sir John Deane’s College students was presented with a Salters’ Institute Graduate Award, after being nominated by his university.

After winning the award, he said: “I was over the moon. It just shows that all the hard work I put in at uni, all the internships I did with different companies, have paid off.

And it means I now have a promising future in the industry.”

Up to ten awards of £1,000 each are made to final-year undergraduates studying at UK universities.

Gareth was one of five chemical engineering graduates to receive the award.

Only one student from each university is nominated and he was selected by the department of chemical engineering at Loughborough University for the award.

Awards are based on an assessment of the potential of candidates ultimately to occupy leading positions in public life, either by employment in the Chemical or related industries, or more generally in employment that supports the industrial life of the UK.

Candidates are expected to show some knowledge of the Chemical industry’s current situation and the need for changing technology in the future.

All of the winners were presented with the award at Salters Hall by David Willetts and Michael J Reiss, Professor of Science Education at the Institute of Education and Master of the Salters’ Company.

Gareth has now moved away from the Northwich area to start his full time graduate job within the Oil and Gas industry in Southampton for ExxonMobil.

He said: “It’s been very challenging, lots of hard work but very rewarding as well when you see projects come to fruition.”

Gareth wants to encourage other students to to consider studying chemical engineering.