Going the extra mile makes a huge difference!
This year’s Young Reporter Award Extra Mile category has been awarded to Libby-Mae Dinmore,10C for her superb achievement in completing eight months’ work experience with the News Shopper, starting back in October 2014.
Writing articles for Newsquest’s online edition of the newspaper on a range of topics from dancing and cricket pavilions to the sorry state of shops in Dartford town centre, Libby’s hard work has won her the chance to join the other finalists who are attending an undergraduate journalism day at Kingston University on Saturday 6th June. She will also be presented with her award at a separate ceremony held on Thursday 25th June at the Sutton headquarters of Newsquest South London and her proud parents will be at the presentation with her.
Libby’s winning article was about Irlen’s Syndrome, a visual perception disorder that affects people of all ages. It can be improved by wearing tinted glasses prescribed by an optician and using a coloured overlay on text which is printed black on white. Libby herself has the condition but wears glasses at school which means that she can read from the whiteboard and from textbooks without any of the distortions that she experienced before she was diagnosed.
Ms Crawley, AEN support manager at DGGS, runs a support group on Friday lunchtimes each week for all those who are identified as having visual perception difficulties and Libby is there every week. She is a good ambassador for the group, always willing to talk openly about her experience of living with VPD and about the positive difference wearing tinted glasses makes.
Asked how she felt when she heard she had won the Extra Mile category, Libby said “I was shocked !” She is looking forward to the award ceremony and believes that Young Reporters is “something easy that you can do that universities will appreciate being on your CV.”
Her route into the Young Reporter’s scheme this year also shows Libby’s determination to go the extra mile: “I heard about Young Reporters from posters up around the school but at the time I was on crutches as I’d torn a ligament in the top of my leg while skipping so couldn’t go to the meeting so I just spoke to Mrs Mackenzie and got the information I needed and signed up!”
Open to students from Years 10-13, Libby plans to enter again next year and would recommend the scheme to other students because “it gives you an idea about other career options”. She is, in fact, firmly fixed on her chosen career path and wants to become not a journalist but a midwife.
Congratulations, Libby, from everyone at DGGS! We are all very proud of your success.
Mrs Wendy Mackenzie
Teaching Assistant: English
