Tipperary primary school student Cara Darmody has given an update after sitting the Leaving Cert maths exams this week.
The 12-year-old made headlines last year after sitting the Junior Cert maths exam to raise awareness and funds for children with disabilities in her local schools. Cara's two younger brothers are both non-verbal and autistic, and she's using her newfound platform to give insights into what life is like at home.
Speaking after maths paper two, Cara said: "OMG, it wasn't as tough as last Friday's paper one, but it was still really hard!! That's because I'm only a 12-year-old squirt!!"
Cara shares updates about both her studies and campaigning on her GoFundMe, which currently stands at over €53,000 at the time of writing.
She said the butterflies in her stomach were 'unreal' and that even her school principal was nervous before the exam, "after all, Ardfinnan NS were the only national school in the whole country to be running a Leaving Cert exam."
The young activist went on to meet former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to discuss her successful campaign, which has benefited both Ardfinnan National School as well as her brothers' school, Scoil Chormaic Special School in Cashel.
Earlier this year, she became the youngest person to address a Dáil committee, when she told a Joint Committee on Autism Policy that the lack of services for Autistic children “is a crisis and a national disgrace.”
Cara and her father have been travelling to Leinster House once a week since January this year to speak with politicians to advocate for change.
In her most recent campaign update, Cara says "Leo The Lion has finally agreed to meet me." Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is due to meet Cara in July, which the 12-year-old has called "the showdowns of showdowns when it happens - David versus Goliath."
You can follow Cara's journey here.
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