A TALENTED art and design student has painted a positive picture in this year’s national BTEC Awards.

Aleena Nadeem, from Nelson and Colne College, has been awarded 'Highly Commended' in the Student of the Year category.

It came after she impressed judges with her college journey and ability to overcome cultural and language barriers – having moved to the UK from Spain.

The 19-year-old joined the college in 2015 without any formal GCSE equivalent results following her relocation and with English as her fifth language.

She is now on course to achieve D*D*D*, the highest possible grading, in her Level 3 Extended Diploma in Art and Design.

Alongside her BTEC pathways, Aleena achieved her Maths C grade in 2017 with her English grade C in sight this year.

Aleena, who has secured a conditional offer from UCLan to study fashion design, said: “I am feeling so lucky.

"It’s my third year at Nelson and Colne College, and I feel that I have developed myself every year.

“I would like to say thanks to the college and my teachers who saw the potential in me and decided to send my name in for the nomination.”