Hartlepool student turns down Cambridge to make a difference in the North East

Despite receiving an offer from the University of Cambridge, Civ Kesavan has opted to stay close to home and study medicine at Newcastle University after achieving two A*s and an A in chemsitry, biology and maths.

He said: “I was attracted by the hands-on nature of the course offered at Newcastle but I was also inspired by my chemistry teacher at English Martyrs, Dr Bawdon, to think about staying in the North East.

“She’s very passionate about how students that get good grades tend to leave the area and go down south, and it made me think that if I focus my career on the North – if I learn to be a doctor here – I’ll be in a better position to help the area I grew up in.”

Civ was born in London but moved to Hartlepool at the age of one and proudly speaks of his love for the region.

He said: “The people here are really pleasant. In the big cities, I find people are very rushed and can be quite brusque but in the North East, everyone is friendly and down-to-earth.”

Civ hopes to eventually specialise in neurosurgery, although he admits the field is highly competitive.

Dr Chantel Bawdon, who was born and raised in Hartlepool and attended English Martyrs Sixth Form where she now teaches chemistry, said: “Civ is probably the most talented, most intelligent student I’ve ever worked with – including during my time as a PhD candidate.

“While we, of course, always want our students to go on to have bright futures, there is a trend that some of our most talented, highest-achieving students do leave the North East.

“It’s important they feel they have the same opportunities up here if they choose to stay and contribute to making our region even better.

“Civ is exactly the type of person who, by staying in the North East, is going to inspire others and make a great impact on our region for a long time.

"He’s fantastic.”