A TALENTED teenager from Lampeter has been selected for a prestigious network aimed at helping high-performing Welsh students access the top UK universities.

Robert Jenkins, 16, who has been in foster care since he was four, is among a selection of academically gifted youngsters who have been chosen to take their place on the Seren Network.

Robert has overcome huge personal challenges to be where he is today. Born in Swansea, he has spent his life in foster care, moving homes 11 times.

Despite being separated from his biological siblings and moving to a new foster placement in the middle of his GCSEs last year, he achieved five A*s, five As and two Bs at Ysgol Bro Pedr.

These results saw him selected to take his place on the Welsh Government-funded Seren Network, which assists Wales’ brightest students in applying to the UK’s leading universities.

Now, with help from Seren, he has set his sights on a top UK university to study medicine.

“A love of education and learning has been one of the only consistent things in my life,” said Robert. “I haven’t had an easy time but I’m proud to have achieved my GCSE results and am now hoping to target a top university to study medicine after sixth form."

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