The culmination of a year’s hard work has been celebrated for students from East Coast College in the annual Access to Higher Education Awards Ceremony!
The Awards Ceremony took place on the evening of Thursday 12th July 2018 at the historic Assembly Rooms at Great Yarmouth’s town hall.
The evening was one of celebration, achievement and unity as students and their lecturers cheered each other on whilst reflecting on the year of hard work.
The Access courses at East Coast College are aimed at adults aspiring to undertake one of the many degree programmes offered across the country and at the University of Suffolk, of which East Coast College is a partner. Access courses prepare students for degree level learning, providing the study skills required (and English and maths where required) in order to refresh and gain the confidence to move on to their chosen degree course.
All 93 students who completed their Access courses this year were congratulated on the evening and presented with their certificates by their lecturers and the Assistant Principal for Access and HE, Kerry Payne. The highlight of the evening was the announcement of the Students of the Year 2018 for each of the Access courses provided at ECC as follows:
Vanessa Teixeira, Student of the Year for Access to HE Diploma in Care, Learning and Development
Robert Taylor, Student of the Year for Access to HE Diploma in Counselling
Mitchell Braniff, Student of the Year for Access to HE Diploma in Humanities and Social Sciences
Sian McCarthy and Paris Popham, Students of the Year for Access to HE Diploma in Life Sciences
Scott Boakes and Melissa Bangs, Students of the Year for Access to HE Diploma in Science and Health
Brian White, Student of the Year for Access to HE Diploma in Social Science and Social Care
The students who attended the awards ceremony will now take a well-earned summer break before most return to East Coast College to embark on their Degree course through the University of Suffolk. Fiona Fisk of the University of Suffolk attend the event as guest speaker highlighting the accomplishments of the students and the many and growing progression opportunities in the form of degree programmes at University of Suffolk at ECC. There is no doubt that completion of an Access courses has made the dream of a degree or employment progression a reality for these students.
Kerry Payne, Assistant Principal of Higher Education and Access at East Coast College, attended the Awards Ceremony and said, ‘’ The Access to Higher Education Diploma is a widely recognised qualification that provides a life changing opportunity for adults who left school without the qualifications needed to enter higher education and provides opportunities for adults wishing to re-train for a second career. We are very proud to see over 90% of our student head towards their chosen degree course each year, many of them choosing to stay at East Coast College to study one of our 25 higher education courses validated by the University of Suffolk.’’
The evening concluded with a buffet and students and staff congratulating themselves on yet another successful year at ECC.