Marielle faces anxious wait for citizenship after sitting Leaving Cert

While most Leaving Certificate students nervously await their results and college offers next month, one Filipino student will be equally as worried about being granting Irish citizenship.

But even if that comes through and allows her free college access, it will be little consolation to her older sister, who missed out on the chance to train as a nurse for the last two years.

Marielle Cruz is 18 and finished her Leaving Certificate almost a fortnight ago at St Aloysius’ Secondary School in Cork City. She entered first year there when she arrived in Ireland with her father Bart and older sister Marisol in 2007.