I'm from Connah's Quay and I've spent all my life there really. I've been learning Welsh since school. I went to Connah's Quay High School and did my GCSE Welsh there and then after that I went to Mold Alun sixth form and did my A level there. I've always been interested in languages, like French, but especially Welsh. I just think it's really important that everybody in Wales should really make that effort to speak the language. It's something we've inherited from generation to generation and it's something that we should be supporting and continuing and something we should be looking to develop within Flintshire is more Welsh speakers.

From A level I got a scholarship to go to Bangor University to study Welsh, the John Hughes Scholarship. I'm going into my final year there now. The first year that I did there was what they call a bridging year to get me up to speed because there was a massive gap between second language A Level and obviously I do a first language degree now because there is no second language Welsh degree so I'm integrated with all the students who speak Welsh at home and went to Welsh schools - basically it's their mother tongue.

It's been a really long journey for me. It has been hard and I've really had to stick at it but I can see light at the end of the tunnel now I'm in my final year! I feel integrated into the Welsh society in Bangor now but also at home now, especially with the Eisteddfod coming to Mold. We've got a lot more Welsh language activities that have been set up and we're looking to continue those activities after the eisteddfod and hopefully build on the Welshness the eisteddfod is going to bring to Mold.

I'm really excited at being in the final of the Welsh Learner of the Year competition but I was really shocked because the competition was really hard and the people were of such a high standard. There were people there who had written books on learning Welsh. I wasn't expecting to get through but I'm really pleased I can represent Flintshire, especially as the eisteddfod is going to be in Mold. Hopefully, as I'm a younger person and I haven't come the natural way through the Welsh language - I didn't speak Welsh at home - I can show people that with a bit of effort it is possible to learn Welsh.

Also, the learners' medal this year is in memory of Carys Lewis Jones, a teacher from Holywell High School who died in tragic circumstances. She worked all her life with learners and we went to Glanllyn at the same time and I got on really well with her so I'm doing this for her as well as for myself and the area. I don't know what my chances of winning are - the other three candidates are really good - but I'm sure the judges will make the right decision!

Update: The other finalists in the competition were Albie Abbott originally from England but now living in Carmarthenshire, David Chan from Yorkshire and Julie Macmillan from the Rhondda Valley who went on to win the title.