A student who lost her sister last year said she is excited to be taking up a place at Cambridge University.

Aliza Zafar, 19, from Walthamstow, was awarded A* in Psychology, A in Biology and A in Chemistry and will be studying Psychological and Behavioural Sciences in Cambridge later this year.

But her A-level journey at Heathcote School and Science College has not been an easy one.

During her studies, Ms Zafar travelled back and forth to Belfast to visit her dying sister, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in December 2016.

Ms Zafar’s sister died in May 2018 aged 36.

After the death, Ms Zafar said she was determined to get into university and continued to work hard in her studies.

She said: “I did it for her, she used to feel really guilty, but it was because of her that I got this. I wanted to make her proud.”

She added: “If you don’t have the determination, you’re not going to make it, if you have the desire in the first place, it’s easy.

“When I saw my results, I didn’t really believe it. It said your place has been confirmed, and I still didn’t believe it!”

Ms Zafar said she initially wanted to study medicine. But after seeing her sister’s condition, she decided to distance herself from a medical career and pursue her studies in Psychological and Behavioural Sciences.