On Thursday 12th September, Richmond upon Thames College (RuTC) celebrated the exceptional achievements and successes of nineteen of its students at a Student Awards ceremony, which was held at the college campus in Twickenham.
Over 100 guests attended the event, hosted by RuTC Principal, Gavin Hughes, including the Mayor of Richmond upon Thames, Councillor Richard Pyne and MP for Twickenham, Munira Wilson, as well as students, parents, staff and other members of the local community.
RuTC was delighted to welcome special guest speaker, Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards, Olympic Ski jumper and public figure, who inspired the audience as he spoke about his journey in his chosen career and the power of failure and tenacity.
The award ceremony began with RuTC alumnus, Michael Howell, performing his own composition ‘Rise Again’. Michael studied Music at Royal Holloway University after leaving the college in 2018 and has enjoyed great solo success so far in his young career, recently featuring on Channel 4’s ‘The Piano’ and making it to the final concert stage.
Current RuTC Music students also provided entertainment throughout the evening, including, Level 3 Music Performance and Production learner, Luka Brajovic, who entertained guests with his own song, ‘Far Behind the Fields’.
Award winners included Level 3 Travel and Tourism student, Imane Djadi, who received triple Distinction* in her recent examinations and will be progressing on to study Air Transport Management at The University of West London. BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma Biomedical Science student, Mohammad Rafi Shaik, also received Distinction grades in his exams and is going on to study at Brunel University in London, to pursue a Biomedical Science degree. Foundation Learning student, Madison Guardo, won the award for her department, being praised for her positive contributions and leadership skills.
The Apprenticeship award was won by Owen Cheung, who has recently completed his Level 3 IT Solutions Technician apprenticeship at IT company, Direct Support.
RuTC Principal, Gavin Hughes, selected A-Level student, Harshita Thakur, as the ‘Student of the Year’, praising her hard work and involvement in extracurricular activities during her time at RuTC.
Harshita reflected:
“It was a pleasant surprise to be announced as the ‘Student of the Year’. It was truly nostalgic to be back in the college after leaving, and it was lovely to have familiar faces congratulate me. The whole evening was a great experience – hearing the inspiring story of Eddie ‘the Eagle’ and meeting the Mayor of Richmond upon Thames Borough - Cllr Richard Pyne and the MP of Twickenham- Munira Wilson was very nice, we had some great conversations. The best thing was seeing how proud my family and everyone around me was – which really pushes me to do my best in my future endeavours.”
Gavin, commented on the evening:
“It was an amazing Student Awards ceremony, with some outstanding students showcasing the best of Richmond upon Thames College. And it was a pleasure to have Eddie ‘the eagle’ Edwards provide an inspiring speech about achieving against all the odds. He was a hugely popular guest and a lovely, warm, friendly and engaging person. I have never seen so many people queue for selfies!”
Take a look at some more photos from the event below.
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