A FORMER Coleg Cambria student who won a prestigious media award is continuing to inspire with her academic and personal journey.

Faith Dodd, from Wrexham, was named BBC Wales Young Reporter of the Year while studying A Levels at Coleg Cambria.

Faith received national recognition for bravely sharing her personal experiences of living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), using journalism to raise awareness and help others.

Now 22, Faith has gone on to study Classical Archaeology and Classical Civilisation at University College London (UCL), where she recently completed her undergraduate degree and is preparing to begin a Master’s in Archaeology this autumn.

“I can’t imagine my life anywhere else,” said Faith.

“The course, location, and people made UCL the perfect fit for me, and I’ve loved my time here so much that I’m staying to continue my studies.”

Faith secured A levels in Classical Civilisation, Drama, and Biology, with AS levels in Media and Art while at Cambria.

She credits the college — and particularly teachers Tom Brooks and Jayme Edwards — with inspiring her love for the ancient world and the arts.

“I loved my time at Cambria, and while my subjects may have seemed disjointed at the time, they all fed into my current passions — ancient theatre, archaeological human remains, Greek art, and the public outreach of archaeology in media.”

Her university experience has included starring in sold-out productions of The Bacchae and Aristophanes’ Frogs at the Bloomsbury Theatre, participating in archaeological digs across the UK and Europe, and a unique study tour visiting historic sites in Rome, Athens, and Crete.

Faith has excavated World War II air raid shelters, Roman villas, and even unearthed quirky finds like an early 1900s Heinz pickle jar and a Blitz-damaged park bench.

She now hopes to work in public archaeology, engaging people through museums, media, and journalism.

Before returning to London in September, Faith is taking a short break back home in North Wales following the completion of her dissertation on the depiction of women on Ancient Greek vases.

She thanked her family, friends in Wrexham, and her university peers “from around the world” for their support and offered this advice to students unsure about their next steps:

“Choose what you enjoy and what you’re good at — your passion will carry you through the hard times,” said Faith.