Stephanie, who works at Princess Christian's Thornton Lodge Nursery in Bradford, was one of ten finalists at the Learners First Awards, an annual event held by the Learning and Skills Council to reward successful learners on Modern Apprenticeship programmes. She had been at the nursery for only a month when she was rushed into hospital suffering from a serious illness.
Although Stephanie experienced a year of setbacks to her health, she persevered with her NVQ Level 3 studies at home and attended college and nursery training days whenever she felt well enough. She was presented with her award and Pounds 200 in gift vouchers by television presenter Philippa Forrester, who said of Stephanie's achievement, 'Where others would have given up long ago, she has managed to stay focused and determined.'
