It is announced today, Monday 15 January, that Efa Maher from Cardiff University, Elen Davies from Aberystwyth University, and Steffan Môn, Cardiff University are the three students who will receive a bursary worth £3,000 each offered to up to three undergraduate students studying at least a third of their Maths degree course through the medium of Welsh.
The bursary was established in 2022 in memory of Gareth Pierce, who was Chair of the Board of Directors of Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and former Chief Executive of WJEC before his death in 2021.
Efa Maher from Newport is passionate about the Welsh language and is delighted to be able to study a third of her 'Mathematics, Operational Research and Statistic' course through the medium of Welsh at Cardiff University. She said:
Efa Maher, Cardiff UniversityStudying through the medium of Welsh is incredibly important to me, not only in preserving and maintaining my linguistic skills, but also in terms of my identity. Maths as a subject offers wide career possibilities so building terminology in both languages will be useful when I work in the field in the future. I am very grateful to the Coleg Cymraeg and to WJEC for this bursary
Steffan Môn, 28, from Cardiff became interested in Mathematics as an adult after watching You Tube videos and reading books on the subject in his spare time. He said:
Steffan Môn, Cardiff UniversityI was afraid of Maths at School, but in recent years I re-visited the subject and realised how much I love it. I gained my A-levels in Maths at the Open University last year, and I’m now studying Maths at university. Following my degree I hope to go on to study a doctorate to become a Welsh-medium Mathematics lecturer in the future. I hope my story helps others to demonstrate not everyone shows aptitude in a subject at school, or is ready for university straight after school. There are no boundaries or timetable to education, it's a lifelong act. I'm very grateful to the Coleg Cymraeg and WJEC for the bursary.
Elen Davies from Neath was delighted to hear that she had won the bursary, and is grateful to her teacher at primary school, Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera, for developing her interest in Mathematics.
She said:
Elen Davies, Aberystwyth UniversityMy interest in Maths started at a very young age thanks to the enthusiasm and creativity of my teacher who treated the subject like art work. It is a privilege to study Maths at university and to receive Gareth Pierce's bursary. I love the course, and look forward to working as a Maths teacher in the future.
Dr Ioan Matthews, Chief Executive of the Coleg, said:
"On behalf of the Coleg, I would like to congratulate Efa, Steffan and Elen on winning the Gareth Pierce Bursary. It is a privilege to support this bursary in memory of a friend, colleague, and influential figure in Welsh education who made a key contribution to the Coleg. We are very grateful to Gareth's family and also to WJEC for their support. We wish all three every success in the future."
Ian Morgan, Chief Executive of WJEC, said:
"On behalf of WJEC I would like to congratulate Efa, Elen and Steffan, the second group to receive the Gareth Pierce bursary. The popularity of Gareth's bursary continues to grow and reflects his passion for Maths and learning through the medium of Welsh.
Good luck to the students with their studies, and I hope the bursary means they can thrive in their respective courses."
For more information about Gareth Pierce's bursary, and to check which courses are eligible, visit the Coleg Cymraeg website.