ONE of the country's top universities has chosen a former City of Sunderland College student to spearhead its 2001 recruitment campaign.
The move comes in stark contrast to the case of Laura Spence, the pupil who was rejected by Oxford college Magdalen earlier this year, sparking nationwide debate over Oxbridge's attitude to state sector pupils.
Maths student Fiona Galbraith, of Southmoor, Sunderland, features in the latest Cambridge University prospectus, and will spearhead its recruitment campaign.
Fiona, 21, left the City of Sunderland College in 1998 with four A grade A-levels, and went on to study maths at Cambridge. Now in the final year of her degree, Fiona was chosen to promote her course and send a clear message to other students in state education.
She said: "I'm so proud that my photograph and my words have been chosen for the prospectus. My advice to anyone at a state school who is thinking of applying to Oxford or Cambridge would be to go for it."
Maths lecturer at City of Sunderland College, Dennis France, said: "Fiona is a very nice, pleasant and exceptionally bright student.
"Becoming the face of Cambridge's prospectus is a brilliant achievement.
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