Milton Keynes College has been celebrating the extraordinary achievements of its students after the most challenging of years by naming its Students of the Year.
The theme for this year’s event was “Unafraid to Innovate;” a testament to the incredible adaptability shown by staff and students alike for whom education was turned upside down thanks to the pandemic. The overall winner on the night and Milton Keynes College’s student of the year for 2021 is Fahamida Akter, a Level 3 Fashion and Textiles student studying at Bletchley Campus.
Fahamida joined the College five years ago with an ambition to study fashion. She had very limited skills and virtually no English. She spent five years taking courses at the College to learn English as well as Level 1 and 2 Art and Design – all to enable her to enrol in the fashion course this academic year.
In that time her work has been so good that she’s skipped a level in her Fashion and Textiles studies because she was so far ahead – all the while caring for a sick family member. Fahamida has shown that she was unafraid to face such daunting challenges to achieve her dream.
When asked how she felt about receiving this award, Fahamida said. “I am speechless. I am so pleased, and I felt this award brought me love and respect from the College”.
Each school within the College names its own student of the year (full list below) and it’s from these that the overall winner was chosen at a virtual ceremony hosted by the College’s CEO & Group Principal, Dr Julie Mills OBE and College Governor, Ruby Palmer.
Dr Mills says, “Even more so in this challenging year it’s been really important to celebrate the successes of our staff and students. Our winners this year have had to overcome so many challenges and our theme “Unafraid to Innovate” sums up perfectly the dedication we have seen from many of them”.
Local businesswomen, Founder of Naturally Tribal Skincare Shalom Lloyd also gave an inspiring speech at the event congratulating all the students saying “Every one of them is a winner” while praising the “hard work, tenacity, resilience and belief in themselves” that has got them where they are today.
Students of the year winners 2021
Access to Higher Education - Amy Davies
Apprentice of the Year - Marianne Gabriel
Business - Sophie Lay
Care Professions - Adam Rixon
Catering & Hospitality Services - Chloe Hammond
Construction - Casey Murray
Creative & Digital Arts - Fahamida Akter
Digital Technologies - Matthew D'Souza
Engineering - Jessica Wright
English & Maths - Emi Aranda
ESOL & Alternative Provisions - Arbaz Khan
Hair & Beauty - Megan Barton
Higher Education & Professional Qualifications - Lois Manning
Inclusive Learning - Owen Rowlands
Motor Vehicle - James Dorrell
Public Services - Mohammed Islam
Prison Services - S.D
Science - Michael Boakye
Sports - Daniel O'Connor
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