School friends for seven years, now four are to read pharmacy

FOUR teenagers from Fitzalan High School, in Cardiff, who have been friends for seven years, will be heading to the same university to study the same subject.

Amaarah Khawar, Maram Eghlileb, Hana Akhtar and Sumaia Ahmed, from Cardiff, have been friends since joining the school in Year 7.

And yesterday morning they picked up their A-level results and found out they’d all got into Cardiff University to study pharmacy together.

Maram, 18, said: “We’re all so happy. We’ve been friends for so long and we all have the same interests, we really are best friends.

“Outside of school we like shopping, going to the cinema and just spending time with each other. Knowing that I’m going to be going to university with them is so exciting.”

Maram – who achieved an A in Arabic, the Welsh Baccalaureate and chemistry and a B in biology – said having her friends as a support network has made her less nervous about going to university.

“We did our GCSEs and A-levels together, it’s great having that support from them because they understand what you’re going through.

“It’s amazing that we’re going to be graduating together as well, I think we’ll be friends for life.”

While the four have been close friends for seven years, Maram and Amaarah have been friends since nursery.

Amaarah, 18, said: “I can’t believe that we started nursery together and now we will be finishing university together. We’ve been the whole way through education together.

“She isn’t going to be getting away from me that easily!”

Amaarah also scored highly in her A-levels, getting an A in chemistry and a B in biology and English.

“We all wanted to study pharmacy because we all have the same interests in subjects, although we all have different interests within that area,” she said.

“We all live about ten minutes away from each other and will be living at home.

“I’m looking forward to it so much and you never know, we could even end up working with each other one day.”

Speaking about A-level results day, assistant head teacher of Fitzalan High School Jo Kemp said: “We’re delighted with another set of outstanding results.

“Staff and pupils should be really proud of the results achieved, particularly in new courses.

“We would like to wish all of our Year 13 pupils every success with whatever direction their lives take them in next.”