There was much excitement at Farlington School last Friday, 16th November, as girls both current and past gathered to celebrate the GCSE and A Level annual prize giving.
The Headmistress, Ms Higson, warmly welcomed the guest speaker, Emily Cummins, who inspired the audience with her enthusiasm and practical advice and who then presented the prizes.
Emily is a young inventor who at the tender age of four was given a hammer by her Grandad.
This somewhat unusual gift ignited the creative spark in Emily who loved the fact that something could be made out of seemingly random bits and pieces, and her interest in sustainable design was born.
Emily’s latest innovation is a sustainable fridge which is 'powered' by dirty water but keeps medicines or small food items clean, dry and cool.
She refined her fridge during a gap year in Namibia and then decided to give away the design plans in townships across southern Africa to enable as many people as possible to build their own fridges.
Her design philosophy involves a back-to-basics approach which keeps an eye on the past as well as the future and combines the best of both. Emily spoke passionately to Farlington girls passing on her five top tips for success – they are:
• Be Creative
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help
• Take risks – enter as many competitions as you can, the experience gained is invaluable
• Make sure you stand out from the crowd
• Put yourself outside your comfort zone – always challenge yourself as your sense of achievement will be far greater
The evening was rounded off by some delightful music performed by current pupils. Parents had the opportunity to mingle and girls the chance to catch up with one another whilst being served with delicious canapés.
Emily was on hand to talk to both girls and parents on an individual basis and she really struck a chord with Farlington – with her enthusiasm, success (she has won many awards including Barclays Woman of the Year and Top Ten Outstanding People in the World) and her ‘can do’ approach to life.