26th June 2017
Two hundred people packed out Barking & Dagenham College?s conference centre last Friday to award some of their top students.
The College’s annual Excellence Awards celebrate the special achievements of students from each different subject area. For example, Denisa Babaj, aged 18 from Romford was named ‘Public Services Student of the Year’, and was delighted, saying it was “unexpected.”
Albie Damo, aged 22 from Grays was named ‘Student Ambassador of the Year’ for the enormous contribution he has made to extra-curricular activities such as fundraising events and community work. Proud Albie, who is off to university to study Policing and Criminal Justice next year, said:
I did loads of things such as helping out at college open days, volunteering to clear the cemetery at Old Dagenham Parish Church and abseiling for a local hospice (though I’m actually really scared of heights!).
Performing arts students were surprised and thrilled to receive their awards from a special guest - Warren Russell of dance group Diversity.
19 year old Davinia Kelly from Hornchurch was named overall Student of the Year; she came to the College a year ago having left school early. She enrolled on a level two IT course and has exceeded her own expectations by securing distinctions in all her modules. Davinia explains:
I was very shy and very scared when I started at college, but I just put all the effort in that I could.I come from a background of very low self-confidence. I had to leave school early due to mental health issues, so, it was a total shock for me to win. I feel really pleased with myself.
Davinia, who was supported by her proud parents at the awards ceremony, will be staying on at college to do an Access to Higher Education course, as she wants to go to on to university.
