A student is celebrating after been picked from hundreds of applicants to go on a scholarship of a lifetime to India this summer.

Sadie Bowes, 17, a pupil at Carr Hill High School, Kirkham, has been chosen as the winner of the Daniel Thwaites Travel Scholarship 2008 by Mayor of Fylde, Councillor John Prestwich.

And today at 11am she will meet the mayor at the Town Hall, St Annes, to thank him.

The scholarship, funded by Daniel Thwaites Brewery, is an opportunity for a pupil from the Fylde coast to travel to a foreign destination and seek a host of new experiences that will enrich and develop their lives.

Organised by Experiment in International Living Limited (EIL), the programme gives participants the opportunity to really explore and experience daily life in a foreign country of cultural, historical or general interest by living with a family in the chosen country, working n groups of local people and becoming involved in the new culture and community they are exposed to for the duration of their stay.

Sadie will travel to India in July and stay and explore for two weeks.

She'll start her stay in the capital Delhi before continuing on to a home stay in Dehradun, an ancient city in the north east of the country which is nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas.

This will enable Sadie to get a real taster of what life's like in India.

The mayor said: "I thought Sadie was an excellent candidate.

"She seemed extremely excited about the India experience.

"She is confident and showed a willingness to experience new things.

"As Sadie mentioned she hadn't done much travelling previously I wanted to give her this fantastic opportunity to experience another country and a different culture."

Sadie said she is ecstatic about her upcoming trip.

"I feel very privileged to be chosen for this once in a life time opportunity," she adeed.

"I am looking forward to experiencing a whole new culture, exploring a new country and seeing life from a different perspective.

"Furthermore, I am looking forward to meeting new people, working as part of a team, and learning life skills which will ultimately prepare me for the next stage in my life."

Sadie, who is currently studying sociology, English language and product design, hopes to start university in September.