This year's winners and runners-up

Billy has achieved a D*D* in his 90 Credit Diploma in Public Services at South Essex College, obtaining a distinction in every assessment. This alone would be an outstanding achievement for a student not facing barriers, yet Billy has attained this with a profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. He also has significant speech and language delay, developmental delay and an auditory processing impairment. Billy communicates using British Sign Language and lip reading, his focus in lessons is testament to the grades he has achieved. He works so hard, takes on board feedback and asks questions to ensure he meets the highest grades possible. Billy also has mild cerebral palsy affecting mainly his lower limbs, however he throws himself into all practical elements of the course and always strives to be better. In addition, Billy also helps as a carer for his twin sister, yet takes all of this in his stride. 
Billy recently went to Buckingham Palace to receive his gold Duke of Edinburgh Award, as part of this award he volunteered for the charity 'Kids First'. This charity is part of Thurrock and District Cerebral Palsy Society offering support and opportunities to children in the community. He achieved his award whilst also working as a volunteer in a PHAB shop. Furthermore, Billy has volunteered for the Royal Association for Death People, helping out with sailing trips and completed work experience for three weeks in a Newcastle school. Billy is also active and plays cricket for Essex Ability and swims with Runnymede Swim Club and has even completed training as a fire cadet within Essex County Fire and Rescue Service.
Billy won South Essex College Student of the Year in our own Celebrating Success Awards. He shows others that there are no limits to what you can achieve and never complains about his situation, he simply works out solutions to any issues he faces without drama or negativity. Billy inspires people facing all types of barriers, whether this be a disability, a family issue, a mental issue or a health issue, believing that if you focus on your goals, remain positive and work hard, good things will result. He also inspires others to go above and beyond, to volunteer, to join in and take part to the best of your ability.
All of the amazing things Billy does, he does for himself and from his own drive. He does not strive for the recognition it brings him, he does them because he wants to be the best version of himself. This drive and passion is the key to success in whatever he puts his mind to. At South Essex College, we look forward to seeing Billy progress even further on the second year of his course and are privileged he chose us to succeed with. 

Sibgha gave up much of her own time to act as a peer mentor, supporting learners with emotional, social and education difficulties. Her dedication to become a peer mentor meant she was confident to actively approach distressed learners and support them. An avid member of the Student Council, Sibgha immersed herself within the learner voice community, attending all conferences and offering positive, proactive solutions to the problems raised. Working with the senior management team, Sibgha volunteered to represent the college and became a spokesperson for young people on the Stoke-on-Trent City Council Prevent Board. Here, Sibgha discusses key issues, shares best practise and influences future policy to ensure young people are kept safe from extremism. 
In June her hard work, determination and outstanding personal achievements were recognised, when she won the prestigious Celebrating Success Student of the Year Award. Sibgha’s knowledge, empathy and understanding of people’s backgrounds, religion and culture ensured that she can build solid, trusting relationships and deserves special recognition for all she has achieved through applying herself to her learning, the college and the local community.
Sibgha has been a driving force behind developing links between the college and the wider community, including organising a mother’s day tea, attended by the Lord Mayor and Local MP’s, to raise over £500 for All Saints Church, after it was vandalised. Sibgha also organised a harvest festival, resulting in a full car load of food donated to a local homeless charity and followed this up by collecting produce for local foodbanks. 
Sibgha has been such an asset to the college, that a part time role was created for her to remain as a paid Student Ambassador. Through this role, Sibgha is leading on a project to change perceptions of the childcare and health and social care sectors, working with over 35 high schools, existing students, employers and MPs. The aim is to challenge stereo-types, encourage more male students into the sector and highlight the pathways that these courses can lead to. 
Her charismatic ability to lead others to better themselves sees her now training an ambassador to follow in her footsteps and take a lead within the college’s enrolment process to welcome and reassure new students. Her consistent can do attitude made her a key member of the Student Council, recognised for striving to find solutions no matter how complex the issue. 
Sigbha can be consistently relied upon to positively promote student life, career progression, and further education. Her personality, skills and calm demeanour ensure that she can find a connection and hold the attention of a variety of audiences from nursery children to MPs. Sibgha’s passion is to help others to achieve their goals and she inspires her peers to continually strive to succeed. 

Ryan Kimber enrolled at The Isle of Wight College in September 2015, his engineering studies were going well until January 2016, when he was diagnosed with brain and spinal cancer, causing Ryan to endure an exhausting schedule of treatments, numerous operations and a long recovery period. 

Ryan knew that he had to improve his English GCSE and during his cancer recovery, he successfully achieved a grade C, before returning to his engineering studies at CECAMM* in September 2017. 
* Centre of Excellence for Composites, Advanced Manufacturing and Marine at The Isle of Wight College

Ryan continued to make significant progress and all of the work he submitted was at an exceptionally high academic standard and in 2019 he achieved D*D*D* in his Level 3 BTEC Extended Diploma in Engineering. 

Earlier this year, nominated by his tutors, Ryan received an award from the High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight in recognition for his achievements in overcoming adversity and becoming a positive role model. Ryan was also nominated for, and won, the Pearson’s BTEC Engineering Student of the Year 2019. 

Ryan has an immense passion for life, which he passes on to others around him, liked and respected by staff and students. He was nominated by his engineering peers to be a student governor, which involved attending meetings representing students’ views and opinions. At college, students of all levels received technical support from Ryan, including one-to-one guidance for those going through personal difficulties.

Alongside Ryan’s college work he undertook numerous work placements within a variety of engineering and manufacturing companies, including Gurit (UK), Vikoma and Blue Neida 62. As a result of his successful placements, Ryan was headhunted by GKN Aerospace to design a project for their craft apprentices. Accordingly Ryan spent countless hours, day and night, discussing, designing and implementing a hands-on skill builder.  
Ryan is also a volunteer for CLIC Sargent, his way of giving something back, as the charity provided support to Ryan and his family throughout his cancer treatment. Ryan was also invited to join the opening of their new facility, which enables families to stay overnight whilst loved ones are receiving treatment. 
Debbie Lavin CBE, Principal of The Isle of Wight College, says “It has been a real pleasure to work alongside Ryan on the governing board, where he very quickly earned the respect of his peers and fellow governors. In corporation meetings he was mature, level headed and articulate, making a positive contribution to the work of the board.”
Keri Hughes, curriculum lead for engineering, says “One of Ryan’s most admirable qualities is his extremely humble personality. During an award application process, Ryan was asked to write a personal statement as to why he should win. Ryan being Ryan, sat at his computer for six hours straight and could not put pen to paper, we discussed this and his opinion was that he hadn’t done anything greater than anyone else, he was simply being himself.”
 

Since arriving from Zimbabwe in 2013, Malcolm Thwala has actively sought opportunities to improve his life chances and to make a positive difference within the community.  

Finding it difficult to make friends, Malcolm volunteered at a local FireFit Youth Hub in Toxteth, Liverpool. It did not take long for his infectious enthusiasm, patience and people skills to be recognised and he became a volunteer community leader. 

At the Hub, Malcolm has mentored over 50 young people from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds and nationalities and from some of the most deprived areas in the country; working on a one-to-one basis and supporting them to harness the positive influence that exercise and team sports have, aiming to minimise the influence of anti-social factors. His work enables disillusioned young people to develop the resilience they need to make positive life choices, using his own experiences to inspire individuals to pursue volunteering opportunities or by enrolling on to further education. Malcolm volunteers seven days a week and although he regularly finishes late, he always ensures that it does not impact upon his academic study.
Whilst attending Hugh Baird College, Malcolm gained his GCSEs in English and maths at grade 4 and successfully completed a two-year Level 3 Motor Vehicle Mechanics qualification. Although finding the programme challenging, Malcolm worked hard in his own time to read around key subjects and master his skills. This diligent and industrious approach allowed him to then support peers with tasks they were finding difficult.
Malcolm has represented the views of his peers on feedback panels and was a valued member of the College’s Student Council, and reported back offering innovative ideas and solutions rather than listing issues. Malcolm often emboldened and encouraged quieter council members to speak, by making it clear that all students have a valid contribution to make.

Malcolm’s background and ethos of community involvement has led him to become an active volunteer with Savera, a national organisation seeking to eliminate ‘honour-based’ abuse across the UK and abroad, and has recently been appointed Vice Chair of the Savera Youth Advisory Board. Malcolm has used his digital technology skills to produce a short film about forced marriage which was presented at the Liverpool national youth conference, has worked on a national campaign titled, ‘I’m speaking out’, completed a photography project exhibited at the London National FGM Centre and is now working with a local cinema to produce a film on gender identity.
Malcolm’s work with female, ethnic minorities is particularly inspirational. His projects take a fresh, innovative approach to raising awareness of key issues especially within local schools, which provides an excellent opportunity to communicate important messages to younger generations. 

Tia Whelan is the first female to be hired by UK Gas. Tia completed a three-year plumbing course at Leicester College and was keen to become a gas apprentice. After receiving over 20 knock backs, Tia successfully applied for a maintenance apprenticeship at UK Gas. Since starting, UK Gas have recognised her skills and passion for construction and are keen for her to progress and become Gas Safe. 

Tia currently completes full bathroom and kitchen refurbs, using her plastering, carpentry, plumbing, electric, painting and decorating skills. Tia has shown so much passion for all the trades and is keen to learn, that she is a key part of the all male UK Gas team and has worked on some brilliant projects such as District Heating, tenanted and void council properties and social housing. Tia regularly gets called out on jobs where there are vulnerable customers such as the elderly, or women that have been victims of domestic abuse and by building rapport has received terrific feedback from customers and other operatives.
As a result, the Director of UK Gas has realised the need for more females in the workplace. Tia is a brilliant role model and is changing mindsets and stereotypical views of females within the construction trades. 
Tia is also a passionate College Ambassador and a wider ambassador for Blaby District Council promoting the ‘Women into Construction Programme’. Tia visits schools, colleges, apprenticeship fairs, career events, open days and local businesses, speaking to and providing practical demonstrations primarily to young people and in particular girls, encouraging them to think differently about the sector. She also at UK Gas takes on work experience students to shadow her.
Tia’s family have been a great source of encouragement and have motivated her to not give up on her dream career. Tia therefore represents an ideal role model for the community and is a live example that women can work in construction.
Tia is very confident when speaking in public and she often does this promotion and engagement work in her own time on top of her apprenticeship. However, she has to work twice as hard as her peers as she is dyslexic and struggles to put words together on paper. Nevertheless, Tia is currently working at distinction level, her dedication and motivation to continue learning beyond the apprenticeship and develop her skills will enable her to become a full multi-skilled tradeswoman within the construction sector.

Lauren Polson joined London South East Colleges at 14, cooking was her passion and her secondary school didn’t offer the GCSE subjects she wanted. Having taken the decision to leave school, Lauren joined the first cohort of the college’s 14 to 16 provision. Lauren’s passion and commitment was clear from the beginning and she achieved 5 A-C GCSEs including English and maths and a Level 1 City & Guilds in Hospitality.

Lauren successfully progressed, achieving a Level 1 and 2 BTEC in Hospitality and Catering, and was appointed as a Level 3 apprentice at the student led BR6 restaurant, developing her skills further, while helping to train other students. Lauren’s talents were spotted by the management at D&D London, while taking part in a college led event and has now joined the company’s talent team, recruiting staff for all of its UK sites and internationally.

As an apprentice and a student, Lauren has always been willing to step up to support vocational education and has been involved in several PR campaigns, taking part in national radio interviews, Talk Radio, and appearing in the local press.
Lauren also featured in two of BR6 restaurant’s promotional videos used for our AA Student Restaurant of the Year award applications, both of which made the final of the competition and never  hesitates to volunteer for charity events, leading her front of house team with passion and excellent service and was instrumental in BR6 receiving a Pearson Teaching Award and the first London restaurant to be awarded a Highly Commended AA Rosette and People 1st Gold Accreditation.

Lauren was asked by the Career Colleges Trust to speak to delegates at its annual conference and presented to over 100 employers, FE principals and tutors, talking about her experiences at college and the importance of employer led education.

Not only has Lauren been the first to step up at these events, but she has also encouraged and inspired fellow students to get involved and led from the front; despite being younger than many of them. She has great leadership skills and is committed to the industry.
Lauren’s new role at D&D London and progression onto the company’s management development scheme will give her the opportunity to develop her career, while promoting hospitality careers to other young people. As a female achieving in a male dominated industry, Lauren is a fantastic role model, keen to share her passion and success with others. 

Lauren has demonstrated how it is possible to be successful outside of the A Level/degree system and is now years ahead in her career. For Lauren, moving from school into FE was NOT a second choice, it was her FIRST choice; an important message for young people and parents when deciding their futures. 
Lauren stands out because she is passionate, a great advocate for high quality vocational training and recognised with several awards including Apprentice of the Year. She is a credit to London South East Colleges and most importantly a credit to FE, representing how the sector supports young people into great jobs via vocational routes and an employer led curriculum.

At Bradford College the staff on Benjie Kusita’s programme have been overwhelmed by her determination and commitment. Benjie is in her final year of a BA (Hons) Media Makeup with Special Effects degree. 

English is not Benjie’s first language, she is from a Thai background, and her culture and family do not support her career choice. She is also a single parent of a six year old, called Leo. It has been very difficult for Benjie to manage life as a student with the challenges of being a single parent, with little family support.

Benjie works with her mother in a Thai massage therapy business. Due to long business hours and her mum’s expectations, Benjie has to study in the little time available and often through the night, arriving at college via a long commute on only one to two hours sleep.

During her first year, Benjie experienced the challenges of academic essay writing, annotation and verbal articulation. This hindered her self-confidence, because she is capable and intelligent. During her second year, Benjie received some English support, but she still continued to struggle; to compensate, she prepares and researches module content during the holidays.

The standard of Benjie’s practical work however is exceptional in terms of effort, quality, breadth and depth. Visually, her work is inspiring and creative and she enters competitions to improve and perfect her skills, networking within the industry. 
During the summer of 2018, Benjie, self-funding, entered the London Brush Wars competition. Based on a Circus theme, her submission was accepted, but unfortunately due to personal reasons she could not attend and had to retract her entry. The head judges, clearly impressed, placed a notice on social media showcasing her image, commenting how ‘amazing’ her work was. Subsequent social media comments from famous TV/film makeup designers were incredibly complimentary with Benjie receiving industry recognition. 

Benjie’s entry for the Brush Wars competition impressed her tutors and inspired her peers to enter the 2018 War Paint competition at Pro Beauty North, Manchester; in the past it has been difficult to get students to enter competitions, but Benjie has set a precedent. 
Benjie’s positive social media posts motivated and inspired her peers to push ‘that bit harder’ and ‘go that bit further’. This would have not happened without Benjie’s hard work, commitment and vision. In 2019 the college had three students entering the London Olympia competition including Benjie, and again all self-funding.

Not only does Benjie work consistently hard as a mother, student, employee, business partner, but she has set up two other businesses to promote her creative work; a headdress business, Headkase and an eyelash business, Benjie Lashes. She supports other peers with her practical skills guidance and friendship, and is a fantastic role model and inspiration to tutors, as a result of the challenges she has overcome in diversity, equality and academic study.

Matthew Chilvers joined Loughborough College in 2013, studying an NVQ Level 2 in Activity Leadership and then a Level 3 Diploma in Coaching and Supporting Physical Education. Being autistic, Matthew was able to attend the specialist RNIB college at Loughborough and found the environment so supportive that he progressed on to a BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Sport and Exercise Fitness, achieving a D* D* and then on to an HND in Sport and Leisure Management in which he also achieved a distinction for all but one of his modules. Next year Matthew will start a BA Hons in Sports Management course. 

Since the age of 15, Matthew has been volunteering and supporting the head coach at Desford Lawn Tennis Club, and during this time has achieved his Level 1 coaching award allowing him now to deliver coaching sessions for those with disabilities, affected by cancer, have mobility issues or are older. Last year, linked with a special school in Hinckley, Matthew was part of the coaching team that enabled children and young people with autism to take part in tennis tournaments. The disability work Matthew has been involved with was recognised by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), and the club was awarded the LTA Disability Programme of the Year Award 2018.

Matthew believes his HND achievement will show employers what he is capable of, as he is very aware that more needs to be done to help autistic people engage in employment, currently NAS statistics show that only 16% of autistic adults are in full-time paid work. Matthew now has the confidence in his own ability to produce high-quality coursework and deliver presentations, which has helped him in his role as a volunteer coach and gain a part-time Events Assistant job at Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council.

Matthew’s aim is to eventually set up his own business delivering beginner level group tennis coaching sessions. Matthew strongly believes it is important to be able to give people with special needs the opportunity to participate in sport, improve their health, have social contact and gain confidence. 
Through his volunteering, Matthew acts as a role model for those with special needs, and was recognised in 2018, when he was selected as the East Midlands BBC ‘Get Inspired Unsung Hero’. This resulted in Matthew representing the East Midlands at the televised Sports Personality of the Year Awards in Birmingham and being included in the first Guardian and Dimensions charity ‘Learning Disability and Autism Leaders’ list, Sports, Arts and Entertainment category. 

Furthermore, Matthew has been invited to be a member of the Sport and Recreation Alliance Youth Advisory Panel to help more children engage in physical activity. Matthew hopes that his experiences as a young autistic person will help the panel understand some of the barriers that young people with disabilities face.