THE Apprentice hopeful Grainne McCoy has received the backing of her former Co Armagh school teacher, who has revealed the make-up artist always had "a bright spark in her eyes".
The Dromintee businesswoman (31) is one of the five remaining candidates left in the show, with just two tasks standing between her and a chance of a lifetime.
Her family, friends and former school are all wishing her good luck and have described how she has never been a stranger to hard work.
And Jarlath Burns, principal of St Paul's High School, Bessbrook, said he believes she "can do it" and win the £250,000 investment from Lord Alan Sugar.
Mr Burns, who was the head of year when Ms McCoy was a student, said she showed determination from a young age.
"Grainne was always feisty and had great resilience and determination to succeed," said the former Armagh GAA star and sports pundit.
"When you have great personality like Grainne, you will go far."
In a BBC programme focussing on the final four candidates, Mr Burns described how after Ms McCoy got pregnant at 15, it did not stop her from returning to her education.
"I was teaching my A Level class one day when a knock came to the door and it was Grainne," he said.
"She looked at me straight in the eyes and said, 'Sir, I'm pregnant'.
"I felt that something that had such a bright spark in her eyes that her wonderful future was going to be taken from her.
"Shortly after she had the baby, she said, 'Sir I'm coming back to school' and I said ok and I looked her straight in the eye and said when are you coming back and she said four weeks and I was thinking, yeah right.
"Four weeks later, Grainne McCoy was back in school."
Mr Burns said the school were backing her to win the show: "We're all supporting her and are very proud of her, we know she can do it".
Ms McCoy also told the programme that "falling pregnant at 15 was a shock" but she was determined to make something of her life.
"Being from a Catholic area, I didn't want to be known as the girl that had the kid, the first kid in the school and just did nothing with her life," she said.
"That was time for me to step up as a mother, even though I was only 16 and get back to school and try and do something with my life."
She revealed that after completing a degree in make-up in Dublin, she moved to London where she forged a career at events, music video shoots, even creating special effects make-up for feature films before returning home to Dromintee, near Newry.
"I was living in London, travelling back and I was missing my son. I moved home and back with Ryan full-time," she said.
She transformed a shed at the back of the family home, where she runs make-up courses.
Son Ryan has described his pride in her achievements and said he "wouldn't change her a bit because she is the perfect mum".
"For her to win would mean the world to me and her as I would be a lot more popular," he joked.
While Ms McCoy has made it through to the final four, she has appeared in the boardroom on a number of occasions, including during the gin task where too much alcohol was consumed by the Dromintee woman.
And she hopes that she will never hear Lord Sugar tell her 'you're fired'.
"I have full belief in myself that I can win this and what I'm going to do now is show Lord Sugar that I'm not just a make-up artist, I am a strong businesswoman as well and if I won then my dream would come true, it would be amazing."
The Apprentice is on tonight on BBC One at 9pm.
