STUDYING can often feel like an uphill struggle. With all the distractions of modern life – friends and social media to name but two – it can be hard to buckle down.
Yet there are those who are willing to make sacrifices, putting in the time and effort necessary to succeed, and one of the most hotly contested categories in this year’s awards was Best Student, sponsored by Cumbria Education Trust. The two finalists, Millie Lawler and Sophie Murfitt, showed admirable grit and determination, remaining focused on their goals despite everything going on around them. The overall winner on the night, however, was Toby Wilson, who impressed the judges with his single-mindedness and unswerving commitment to his studies.
Toby was unable to be at the awards on the night due to his studies at Cambridge University, however, he said: "I am proud to have been nominated and to recieve this awrd. My main goal in developing the speaker forum was to enable other students and myself to listen to healthcare professionals about their careers and to become more informed.
"This was really important as locally there aren't as many opportunities like this.
"I would also like to thank my college for their support they have given me and others to achieve their goals."
Achieving success is challenging for everyone, but even more so for those who face adversity. Whether they be academic, personal or financial, the various struggles can often feel insurmountable, leading to a sense of hopelessness and despair. Yet some will not be beaten, and this is exactly what the Against All Odds award, sponsored by the University of Cumbria, aimed to recognise. Finalists Saeed Al Hamam and Spencer McGladdery both refused to let anything stand in the way of them fulfilling their hopes and dreams. The overall winner, Oliver Hodgson, proved that with the right attitude, you really can overcome anything. All the nominees in this category are shining examples to anyone who feels the odds are stacked against them. They show that determination is the single most important factor in securing a successful outcome.
On receiving the award, Oliver said: "I'm absolutely elated I really didn't expect it you know I was in a category with so many amazing other finalists and it's a real honour. It's such an estemed ceremony full of fantastic inspiring people and hopefully people might have heard my story and take from it that you can do whatever you want as long as you have got passion and determination."
There’s no doubt that the wider community plays an important role in education. At the most basic level, schools rely on cooperation from parents, and this extends to employers and others in areas like the voluntary sector, who can play vital support roles. The Best Community Initiative award, sponsored by LocaliQ, aimed to acknowledge this. The finalists were Where Poppies Grow and David Milner, both providing high quality learning opportunities. Judges faced a difficult task in choosing a winner and opted for Jackie Bradley and Donna Lund for Friendships throughout the Generations.
Donna and Jackie said: "We honestly thought someone else was going to win it, we are just absolutely chuffed becasue it has just been such a lovely project.
"It's just amazing, I just think that with Covid and everything, this project has been uplifting for the elderly people, they just love the kids and love them coming and hopefully we will do more this year because we will be allowed in the home more and we are just really looking forward to it."
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