In An Ivy League Of Her Own

A chance encounter at a hockey tournament means a Preston student will be crossing the Atlantic to join one of the world’s most prestigious universities - and she’s the only one from the north

- Martin Pilkington

There are thousands of sixth-formers across the county who, like 17-yearold Rachel Greenwood, pictured right, are looking forward to completing their ‘A’ levels this summer before making the leap from home to university. She is unique among them, however, in that she’s the only student from the north heading off to Harvard, America’s oldest and most prestigious university.

The way in which this all started was unusual too. Rachel, who went to Kirkham Grammar prior to becoming a student at Preston’s Cardinal Newman College, is an England Under-18s hockey player and was competing at a national tournament last year when she was approached by a female spectator.

‘She’s a scout for people looking to go to university in America through their hockey, and asked if I was interested. We didn’t know much about it before that, but thought it sounded like a great opportunity and went for it.’

The family knew about university sports scholarships on offer in the USA, with funding split equally male and female.

‘When the scout then wrote and asked if we had any preferences, I replied half tongue-in-cheek that Harvard, Yale, Princeton, or Stamford would be great!’ says her father Colin.

Several colleges promptly came back offering greatly reduced fees, and even the possibility of a full scholarship but, with their eye on the academic prestige of an Ivy League education, Rachel and her family didn’t rush things.