A WEST Devon teenager has taken a valuable educational step towards his ambition to become a Church of England minister, thanks to a bursary giving him an invaluable opportunity to observe different churches in the USA. Will Sweeney, 17, who is studying for his A levels at Tavistock College, was one of 18 young people from across Devon and Cornwall selected as winners of the Connexions Challenge bursary. The annual event enables young people in the region to try out the job of their choice. His ambition is to become a minister and so he spent ten days in August in Gilbert in Arizona, seeing how priests from other faiths work. His bursary helped pay towards the airfare and he stayed with a local family who introduced him to the various denominations. He said: 'Going to the churches there it was certainly very different, for example, to churches in England and Tavistock in particular. 'There was a lot of outreach work such as soup runs, like you get here, but it was a lot more interactive within the community, which in England you do not get as much. 'The Christian message is more in your face and I would be going down the street and see posters saying, "Jesus is coming, are you ready?" — it's not something I was used to, coming from Tavistock!' Will, who lives in Carmel Gardens, hopes to return to the USA after completing a two-year diploma course in theology. He is hoping to go to Bangor University in Wales to do the course, after which he will work towards his ordination in the Church of England. Will, who has attended St Eustachius in Tavistock since he was a young boy, said he felt he had a calling from God at the age of eleven to become a minister. 'The voice inside me became stronger and stronger and I realised this was what God wanted me to do.' he said. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the competition which has so far benefited more than 100 young people in Devon and Cornwall in experiencing a variety of jobs. The Connexions Challenge bursary can be used to support travel and costs in national, local or international placements. Geoff Buck, vice-chairman of Connexions, who was on the judging panel, said: 'There are a lot of enterprising young people out there but meeting them is always refreshing. 'It restores my faith in the ability and commitment of young people who want to do something out of the ordinary and are willing to take on a challenge and see it through.' On December 8 bursary winners met at the Holiday Inn, in Plymouth, to tell a panel of judges how they had spent their £500 and how it will help them in their future careers. Any young people interested in applying for Connexions Challenge should contact Elizabeth Flimer on 01208 77999.