Cardiff Sixth Form College Student Combines Academic Excellence with Entrepreneurial Innovation

Jason Lee, a boarder from South Korea at Cardiff Sixth Form College Cambridge, is celebrating his A Level results today after combining outstanding academic achievement with an impressive track record of engineering innovation, entrepreneurship and hands-on technical experience.

Jason studied Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry gaining two A*s and two As at A level today plus an A* in his EPQ and is aiming to progress to Imperial College London to read Electrical and Electronic Engineering, one of the university’s most competitive courses.

Jason has developed a passion for engineering from an early age and has already demonstrated the practical creativity and problem-solving skills that will underpin his future career.

A budding entrepreneur, Jason launched his own 3D-printing business while living in Shanghai. After purchasing his first printer, he began creating toys, customised keychains and other products which he sold online through Chinese e-commerce platforms. Using publicly available designs as a starting point, he modified and improved them to create unique products for customers.

His entrepreneurial spirit continued at Cardiff Sixth Form College where he designed and manufactured personalised stress-relief devices for every member of staff and every student. These included custom 3D-printed keyboard-style name structures featuring individual names, combining creativity, design and engineering to create a memorable gift for the college community.

Jason’s passion for engineering was also reflected in his Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), which investigated whether alternative magnetic propulsion systems could provide a lower-cost solution for transportation. Drawing on research into magnetic levitation trains, aircraft carrier launch systems and linear induction motors, he explored a novel arrangement of permanent and electromagnets designed to generate forward and backward movement.

The project required extensive independent research, including sourcing and analysing academic papers on advanced magnetic propulsion systems. Jason discovered that while the concept could be made to work, significant inefficiencies and power requirements limited its practicality.

“I wanted to understand why nobody had implemented this particular configuration before,” Jason explained. “The system worked, but the energy losses were too great and the cost of overcoming those problems became impractical. It was valuable to discover not only what works in engineering, but why certain ideas never become commercially viable.”

His engineering curiosity extends well beyond the classroom. Jason also designed and built a fully playable guitar using 3D-printed components. After modifying an existing design, he printed the body and neck before sourcing and assembling the remaining hardware. Although the instrument worked successfully, the project revealed the limitations of plastic compared with traditional wooden construction.

“It sounded good and was playable, but the flexibility of the plastic meant it wasn’t as durable as a wooden guitar,” he said. “That taught me a lot about material science and why certain engineering solutions have stood the test of time.”

Jason has complemented his academic studies with an impressive range of extracurricular achievements. He earned a Silver Award in the British Physics Olympiad, a Gold Award in the Physics Challenge, and reached the final round of the Ritangle Challenge. He also co-hosts the college Photography Club, covering major events and editing promotional videos for the school community.

Before joining Cardiff Sixth Form College, Jason attended Shanghai Singapore International School. He chose to move to the UK because he wished to specialise in STEM subjects rather than follow the International Baccalaureate pathway offered at his previous school. He currently holds a scholarship at Cardiff Sixth Form College and is studying a year ahead of many of his peers.

His practical engineering experience is equally impressive. During work experience in China, Jason assisted with electrical installations, including wiring

“Here within the College community, Jason has become known as the student who can fix almost anything, from computers and software issues to bicycles and even broken glasses” said Cardiff Sixth Form College Principal, Dr Julian Davies.  “He is a real entrepreneur and loves finding out how things work and how he can improve upon existing designs.  With his strong academic results, proven entrepreneurial success and an impressive portfolio of engineering projects already behind him, Jason is well placed to make a significant impact in the field of engineering in the years ahead.”