FROME College are proud that two former female students have proven that hard work and commitment can secure high profile careers which have historically been dominated by men.
They report, “Kelyn Bacon QC has become the youngest woman to be appointed as a High Court Judge, and the first woman in the 100-year history of her chambers to do so.
“Kelyn was born in India and came to England when she was a year old. She was educated entirely in state schools, mainly in Somerset, and did her GCSEs and A-levels at Frome College where she was particularly encouraged by her maths and languages teachers. She then went on to Oxford University to study law, with a year spent at Konstanz University in Germany. This was followed by a Master’s degree in European law at the European University Institute in Florence.
“She was called to the Bar in 1998 and spent her career as a barrister at Brick Court Chambers in London, specialising in EU and competition law. She was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2014 and is the editor and main author of the leading textbook on EU and state aid law. Along the way, she has been a Visiting Fellow at Queen Mary University London, and a Visiting Lecturer at University College London, teaching competition and state aid law.
“Kelyn is a Governing Bencher of the Inner Temple and was appointed as a Deputy High Court Judge in the Chancery Division in 2017. In October 2020 she left Brick Court to take up an appointment as a full-time High Court Judge in the Chancery Division.
“Her sister, Catherine Bacon, who also went to Frome College, became a chartered civil engineer and is now head of development and regeneration for the Southern Housing Group, managing two teams for the social housing association. Catherine is featured in an engineering book called ‘Change the World’ in conjunction with the Whitbybird Foundation. You can purchase a copy at www.amazon.co.uk/Change-World-Should-Study-Engineering/dp/ 1527232840
Mark Whitby, design director at Whitby Wood said, “We take enormous pride in developing careers of the graduates who join us, and I am very happy to celebrate Cathy’s achievements in the book. Engineering has been transformed over the last decade, with women finding a real home from which they can build diverse careers with a proper work-life balance. We are always open to helping any students who are interested in engineering with advice, or pre-university work experience. More information is on our website at www.whitbywood.com ”.
The college add, “Catherine hopes to return to Frome College and talk to our girls in Sixth Form and lower school about her career path to encourage more young women in to STEM.
