MALVERN Sea Cadet Susanna Williford has been awarded a prestigious medal for coming top in the country when qualifying as a petty officer.

Susanna, aged 18, collected the Cornwell Medal from Commodore Laurence Brokenshire, Commodore of the UK's Sea Cadet Corps, at the Spring Lane unit's annual awards ceremony on Thursday (August 17).

She is also one of only two cadets out of 1,500 applicants selected to join the Royal Navy's officer training college in Dartmouth by the Admiralty Interview Board.

This means that, after a year at the college, the Royal Navy will sponsor Susanna to study politics and law at the University of Kent. After she graduates, she will serve in the Navy for five and a half years.

Bob Thomas, chairman of Malvern Sea Cadets, said: "That's a huge effort by her, to have impressed the navy to that degree. It shows what youths can do if they apply themselves."

He said Susanna's success would motivate other unit members and reward staff, who give up their free time to work with the cadets.

"This is a particularly inspiring moment in our history," he said.

Sea Cadets complete exams to improve their rank. To achieve the highest rank, they must attend boards -- courses to test skills such as leadership, cadet knowledge and dress and bearing. Susanna achieved the best mark in the country at the petty officer board.

"It was quite a shock. I was pleased but I wasn't expecting it," she said. "I didn't think I'd got that much of a high mark."

Speaking about the appeal of the Sea Cadets and navy, she said: "There's such diversity each day. You get to do things that you wouldn't be able to do outside the cadets. There's sailing, boating, you get to shoot rifles and go on so many different courses."

The Cornwell Medal, instituted after the First World War, commemorates Jack Cornwell who, as a Boy 1st Class on HMS Chester, won the VC for gallantry at the Battle of Jutland.

At the same ceremony, the Malvern unit's former commanding officer, Lt Tony Barber, was presenting with a Cadet Forces Clasp in recognition of 22 years service to the Sea Cadet.

The South West Area Sailboard Trophy was presented to Leading Cadet Jonathon Bird, aged 17, following his success in the 2006 south west area regatta against representatives of more than 80 units. He will represent the Malvern unit at the national regatta in London in September.