Newcastle College Celebrates Student Success with February 'Student of the Month' Awards

Each month Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group hold a ‘Student of the Month’ awards presentation that highlights and recognises the individual effort, progress and dedication of students who go above and beyond throughout the year.

This month saw the February round of nominees collect their awards. The presentations included a number of inspirational stories from staff about their nominees, including; students overcoming personal challenges and going above and beyond on their chosen courses with exemplary attendance and hard work. We've seen some amazing stories of success that we just can't wait to share with you.

Demi Turner

Demi is nominated for her outstanding performance and achievements during the first year of her BTEC Photography course. Demi produced exceptional work for her A1 Skills and Development project, where she achieved a Distinction. Her innovative approach and artistic talents impressed across the course’s social page and within group critiques. Recently, Demi’s photographs have been featured in Staffordshire’s ‘Focus’ magazine and she has embarked on an exciting opportunity with PREM Management, where she will take sports shots of football games for Stoke City. Alongside her peers, Demi will also be collaborating with Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council’s Regeneration Project to photograph local areas, parks, events and historical landmarks to promote visitor engagement. In addition to her outstanding work, Demi is always first to volunteer for Open Events, and has been commended by visitors for her mature manner and helpful approach. Congratulations Demi!

Mariia Trykoz

When Mariia arrived in the UK from Ukraine, she was determined to achieve her goal of gaining a pass in both GCSE Maths and English, and it is for this work ethic she has been nominated. Mariia threw herself into learning exam techniques and polishing up her mathematical skills. Working hard in both her Maths and English classes, Mariia actively contributes and collaborates with her peers. Mariia always continued her studies outside the classroom, taking past papers home to complete. Through her hard work and dedication, Mariia achieved Grade 4 in both her English and Maths, an incredible achievement! Congratulations!

Luke Breeze

Luke has been nominated for his exceptional commitment to his course, currently working at D*D*D* level. An incredibly dedicated students, Luke has the ambition to become the second learner to be awarded the ‘Outstanding Achiever in Public Services’ and be a recipient of the Pace Stick donated by Sergeant Major Lee Fraser. During a recent visit to London as part of the UPS trip, Luke showed an incredible knowledge of the history of British Politics, the monarchy and government policy. In the coming weeks, Luke will be starting his work placement with Stoke-on-Trent City Council, where he will be shadowing staff in Trading Standards and liaising with other members of the Civic Office. Alongside applying for a degree apprenticeship, Luke has received offers from University of Derby, University of Birmingham, Staffordshire University and Nottingham Trent to study Professional Policing. Congratulations Luke, your hard work shows!