A HIGH SCHOOL pupil from Lochgelly feels 'ecstatic and privileged' to have been awarded a scholarship.

Jenna Walsh is one of five pupils undertaking the Shell UK Girls into Energy course at Fife College who have received £750 and £500 from Sell UK to support their studies.

On her success, Jenna said: "I feel ecstatic and privileged to have been awarded this money, as this will help me achieve a better education and supplies for university.

"I would also like to thank Shell for this opportunity, as now I’m one step closer to achieving my dream of becoming an engineer.

"This course and this scholarship have made this journey easier.

"It was also very inspiring when talking to the women that work with Shell, it showed me that anything was possible and gender was not a barrier when working as an engineer."

The scholarships were awarded at a special presentation held at Shell UK’s Fife Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Plant at Mossmorran.

The awards were presented by Mark Downes, production coordinator at the plant, with the five pupils getting the opportunity to tour the site and speak with four women working in energy at Fife NGL.

The Shell UK Girls in Energy course, sponsored by Shell UK, offers pupils a unique insight into the energy industry as well as enhancing key employability skills.

The course has been popular with pupils over the last few years with 14 students from high schools around Fife, aged 14 to 16, taking part this year.

The Shell UK Girls in Energy course is part of a wider range of initiatives which Shell UK and Fife College are working on together to help reduce the gender imbalance in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) related subjects and to support and encourage more people into the energy industry.