Hugh Baird College recently held its annual ‘Inspire and Shine’ Student Awards Evening 2024, which celebrated the success of students from across all areas of the College, recognising them for their achievements and dedication during their time inside and outside of their courses.
The event was headline sponsored by the construction and interior design company Truline, along with other employer partners of the College sponsoring individual awards, including Denholm Logistics Group, Peel Ports, MSP, Persimmon, Lovell, Cadgrange, Sterling Plastering, MJS Joinery, The Big Onion, JG Joinery, Stock Brickwork and Cannon Electrical.
Award winners, their guests, college governors, and staff were joined by the esteemed Eithne Browne, a renowned stage, film, and TV actress, as the guest compere. Born in Huyton, Eithne has had a dazzling career spanning over three decades. She is celebrated for her starring role in the original West End production of Blood Brothers and her TV appearances on Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Waterloo Road, Cold Feet, and most recently, The Responder, a Merseyside drama.
The awards presented to students featured twelve Directorate awards and five special awards announced on the evening. These included the Student of the Year award for the Directorate of Business Engagement, which student Matthew Carroll won.
Matthew has displayed an unwavering passion for his studies and the hospitality industry, he has seized every available opportunity to develop his skills and knowledge to aid his progression. This approach has helped him to reach the finals of several high-profile competitions, including the Nestle Toque Dor and WorldSkills Hospitality competitions.
Another award presented that evening was the Excellence in Employability Skills award 2024, sponsored by Peel Ports. Hugh Baird College has an outstanding industry partnership with Peel Ports, providing scholarships to our Level 2 and Level 3 students. These scholarship programmes are designed to prepare our students for their future careers and introduce them to an exciting sector of our local and national economy.
The award winner, Demi Coakley, was nominated for the award by Carrie Kedian, Childcare Lecturer at Hugh Baird College. Carrie said:
“Demi has returned to education for the first time after a period of ill health due to chronic medical conditions. Demi has since excelled in all aspects of the course and always completes tasks and coursework to the best of her ability working above her target making tremendous improvements on each piece of work. Demi is supportive of her peers and works well with everyone in the group. Demi always has a smile and a positive attitude, and it has been a pleasure to have her in the group this year – her contributions have been an asset.”
The evening concluded with the presentation of the Principal’s Award of Excellence 2024. This prestigious award was given to a student who exemplifies the College’s values, has made a significant impact, and truly embodies the spirit of ‘excellence’. Sefton Sixth Form College A-level student Maisie Price won this award.
Julie Bass, a Personal Development Coach at Sefton Sixth who nominated Maisie, said:
“Maisie works extremely hard in her studies and has an offer to study medicine at Keele University, alongside this she helps with the care of her brother who has severe learning difficulties”.
“Maisie comes to college every day with a huge smile on her face and meets the expectations in place without ever complaining, despite the huge demands on her. She truly is an outstanding and inspirational young woman.”
Hugh Baird College Principal and Chief Executive, Rachael Hennigan, said:
“As I say every year, I feel lucky to be the Principle of Hugh Baird College most days, but it is on evenings like these that I feel an even greater sense of pride. I feel proud of our students, what they have become and the amazing things they will go onto achieve wherever the next stage of their journey takes them. I love their passion, their grit and their relentless drive to achieve great things. They don’t allow anything to get in the way of their relentless pursuit to achieve their aspirations. I wish them the very best for the future, whether going to university, progressing onto an apprenticeship or gaining full employment within their chosen fields.”
The complete list of 2024 award winners:
- Health, Creative Industries and Protective Services Student of the Year 2024 – Niamh Lysaght
- Construction Trades and the Built Environment Student of the Year 2024 – Marcus Goddard
- Business Engagement Student of the Year 2024 – Matthew Carroll
- Building Services, Engineering and Business Student of the Year 2024 – Katie Draper
- Learning for Life and Foundation Studies Student of the Year 2024 – Aaron Bishop
- Thornton College Student of the Year 2024 – Willow Coghlan
- English and Maths Student of the Year 2024 – Leighton Hampton
- ESOL Student of the Year – Ayman Gabir Bakhit
- Apprentice of the Year 2024 – Michal Galebiewski
- Community and Adult Education Student of the Year 2024 – Sue Wignall
- Higher Skills and Access Student of the Year 2024 – Kerry Scott
- Sefton Sixth Form College Student of the Year 2024 – Maisie Price
- Excellence in Employability Skills Award 2024 – Demi Coakley
- Pathway to Success Award – Isabelle White
- Beacon for our Community Award 2024 – Susikala Thevanesan
- Taylor Prize 2024 – Erin Anderson
- Principal’s Award for Excellence – Maisie Price