As a teenager Sophie De L'Orme was homeless, had suffered a breakdown and was facing an uncertain future.

But her steely determination has helped her to turn her life around. In an inspiring story for the new year, Sophie is now in her final year at Bangor University, Wales, studying English language and creative writing.

At the age of 18, Sophie, from Brighton, suffered a breakdown while she was studying for her A levels at Cardinal Newman Catholic School in The Upper Drive, Hove.

She was taken to Mill View Hospital in Nevill Avenue, Hove, where she stayed for three weeks but she could not return to her mother's home because of family problems.

With the help of a counsellor, who had supported her through school and college, she was allocated a place at a women's hostel called Stopover2 in Brighton and went back to Cardinal Newman to retake her final year of A levels.

She said: "I knew if I continued to live at home I would not be able to cope so I moved into a room in the hostel, which I could have for six months maximum.

"When I first saw the room I though 'oh my God' but I moved in and made it my own.

"As soon as I was there it meant I could clear my head and I knew I had to make something of my life.

"I went back to college which was horrible because I did not know anyone but I got an A and two Bs in English language, psychology and German."

Sophie's family life fell apart when her father died when she was 12 and she found it increasingly difficult to cope with her relationship with her mother.

After completing her A levels she began studying for an English language and creative writing degree and felt that if she had a computer she would be able to study better.

Her support worker heard about a Barclays banking on brighter futures project, Changing Lives, which helps vulnerable people to create brighter financial futures for themselves, and suggested that Sophie apply to the project for financial assistance.

She was awarded a total of £1,010 to help her purchase a laptop, printer and other studying aids and is currently applying for newspaper training schemes, following in the footsteps of her writer father and brother, who writes for a heavy metal magazine.

She is in her final year at Bangor University in Wales and is looking forward to the future.

She said: "Only now am I starting to deal with things and I do not feel guilty anymore. It is my life and I am in control of it.

"I had such a drive at school. I had to get to uni because I needed to move out. It made me more determined to do well."

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