Celebration of our award-winning students in 2018

On Tuesday 4th December, the university held a celebration event comprising over 150 guests including students, staff, alumni, donors and supporters.

Hosted by our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Debra Humphris, and organised by our Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement team, the event recognised and applauded the efforts of a range of students who received awards for their outstanding efforts (academic and co-curricular) in the last academic year.

During the evening, a number of the student recipients spoke about their experiences, and the impact the prize has had to them as individuals, plus donors shared their reasons for giving.

Mental health nursing student Roch McLean, winner of The Streamline Taxis Nursing (Mental Health) BSc (Hons) Breakthrough Award, said:

“It was a privilege to be part of the event, and a pleasure to meet my sponsor, James Wright from Brighton & Hove Streamline Limited, and for him to see what a difference the award has made to me. I spoke at this event because it was really important for me to acknowledge the help and support that made it possible for me to achieve the grades that led to me receiving the award. And because I wanted to raise awareness of the inequalities that trans people face that has emerged as a result of the research I am currently undertaking. The trans community has provided me with members of my chosen family, and it is important for me to use my privilege to raise awareness of the issues with which my community faces, in order to drive attitudes and policy change that can help improve their experiences and outcomes.”

“Much of the academic work I undertook that resulted in my performance being rewarded has focused on improving the experiences of transgender patients and service users within healthcare. As part of my own journey, I have recently undertaken a gender-affirming procedure. Recovering from this has meant I cannot undertake work, so this award has been able to compensate me for wages I have lost out on. I also imagine awards such as this play a role in offering further financial assistance to my colleagues affected by the removal of NHS bursaries.”

Midwifery student Isobel Kaye, Merit Scholarship, said:

“The first year of midwifery has been both a huge challenge and a privileged experience, which has allowed me to grow personally and professionally. The unique demands of changing practice placements and academic requirements make it very difficult to balance paid work with this course and so this merit-based scholarship has been a lifeline for me, allowing me to dedicate myself fully without the plague of financial anxiety. It is not possible to fully express my gratitude but please know that this scholarship has been genuinely transformational for me”.

A huge well done to all our students on these achievements.

You can read the full article here.