A talented Thornton Heath student has been selected from a pool of more than 37,000 students to study at Columbia University in New York.

Aspiring writer and journalist Liberty Matin, who attended Norbury Manor  Business and Enterprise College for Girls, recently accepted an offer from the university’s undergraduate admissions team to be a Kluge Scholar.

Liberty, will follow in the footsteps of famous alumni such as poet laureates, politicians, actors, musicians and screenwriters.

These include former students such as: President Barack Obama, one of four presidents to attend Columbia. The 18-year-old who is proud of her working class background, has a generous grant from the university and savings, but there is still a gap in her finances.

Because she battled cancer when she was 14-year’s-old, Liberty’s health insurance will be higher than normal even though she is now in remission.

She has created a Crowdfunder page named ‘#Croydon2Columbia’ to raise £11,000 by the end of August to cover her health insurance, a computer and some living expenses for the first two years of her course.

Liberty who achieved 9 A*s and 2 As at GCSE wants to go to Columbia because of the strong opportunities it offers. The year after overcoming cancer she won a local newspaper ‘Young Reporter of the Year’ award.

In New York she hopes to intern at the myriad of news desks and writing rooms in the city.

Liberty who also went to Winterbourne school said: “I am determined to make the most of this very rare and unique opportunity. “