A student at the world-famous Camborne School of Mines has been awarded a valuable scholarship, as she embarks on her first steps towards forging a successful mining career.

Samantha Hicks has secured a £6,000 scholarship from Women in Mining (WIM) UK to assist her studies on the MSc Mining Engineering course, offered at the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall. The scholarship was established as part of a wider initiative to encourage more women into the field of mining engineering. The MSc course offered at the University of Exeter is the only one if its kind anywhere in the UK.

Funds for the scholarship were raised after a Faberge amethyst ring, donated by Gemfields plc, was raffled late last year, with the proceeds passed to the Camborne School of Mines Trust - a charity set-up to help promote and enhance mining education.

Samantha was presented with her cheque for the sizeable sum by Nick Wilshaw, Vice-Chair of the CSM Trust, at a recent special ceremony.