Nina Andersen, a sixth form student at Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith has collected her British Empire Medal (BEM) at a ceremony at the Tower of London.
BEMs are awarded to people for a ?hands-on? service to the local community and Nina from Latymer Upper has been recognised in the Queen?s New Year?s Honours List 2022 for her intergenerational initiative, Community Senior Letters. She is the first current student ever to be awarded this honour.
?It was such an incredible day,? said Nina. ?Since I found out that I was included in the New Year?s Honour List, it all felt very surreal, especially with my A-level exams coming up in a few weeks. Collecting the medal, in such an extraordinary setting, felt very special and it?s something I will never forget.? There?s one more event that Nina is still to attend, as part of the celebrations around her award. Just before she sits her first A-level exam, Nina will be attending a garden party at Buckingham Palace.
Nina has been successful in achieving an offer from the University of Pennsylvania where she will start in September. Before she heads off to University she is focused on ensuring the continuity of the initiative and is busy recruiting so that she can hand the project over to a successor to ensure a sustainable future for this extraordinary initiative. ?It has been so fulfilling and a truly incredible experience. I am excited to mentor and hand over CSL to younger students to continue the legacy of CSL after I leave Laty...