It was not too long ago that John Outerbridge was a high school drop out stumbling down Court Street but now he is on the way to obtaining a PhD in Optical Science and Engineering. Mr. Outerbridge was presented with the Outstanding Graduate Achievement Award by the National Training Board at the Second Annual Merit awards this week at the Southampton Princess.

Now the man born in Crawl Hill, is looking forward to career as a optical research scientist perhaps working with Lockheed Martin, the US Army or building satellites for NASA (National Aeronautics Space Administration).

?I understand what it feels like to be rejected by society, unloved and unwanted. I came from very humble circumstances but in accepting this award I want others to feel success belongs to those who feel they don?t have the right background to succeed.?

The award he received is given to a graduate who has succeeded in attaining graduate status through perseverance and consistent effort while maintaining an outstanding academic record.

Mr. Outerbridge is a graduate of the J.F. Drake State Technical College programme in Drafting and Design Technology. Through NTB TVET sponsorship he gained a Bachelor of Science degree in Optical Engineering and through funding provided by the NTB Tech Quest 2000 ? The Next Generation Programme, he obtained the Master of Science Degree in Physics in December 2004.

Continuing as a NTB sponsored student in the programme, Mr. Outerbridge is a candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Optical Science and Engineering and completed all of his coursework for the degree this summer.

?I was temporarily, a high school drop out staggering down Court Street but I had the foresight to turn my life around and worked 50 to 70 hours a week to put myself through undergraduate school in Huntsville Alabama.?

?I chose optical engineering because it was the most fascinating field for me at the time. There was a lot of technology that was being developed ? laser propulsion, high energy laser research.?

?It looked to be one of the most promising, difficult and challenging fields and If I could accomplish something of this magnitude, I knew that it would be worth while.?

Since graduate school Mr. Outerbridge has worked on building a dual ultraviolet laser system used to measure ozone concentrations in the Earth?s lower atmosphere. He is currently working on a vision system that will enable the autonomous rendezvous and docking of a space craft, a NASA funded space project.

?When you are born into difficult conditions it easy to say opportunity belongs to other people but nothing gives you a permanent feeling of self worth like accomplishments.?