Our annual student awards ceremony made a triumphant return last week, through a night filled with laughter, celebration and cherished new memories.
Staff, students and loved ones gathered at the iconic Victoria Theatre in Halifax to reflect on and show praise to the remarkable achievements of the past year at the College’s Inspire Awards. Listening to the student success stories, accomplishments and stellar performances made this another memorable awards night.
Calderdale College set up a night to remember for its star students, with individuals nominated for a variety of prestigious awards, including Young Person of the Year, Adult Student of the Year, Resilience Award, Outstanding Attitude Award, Calderdale College’s Award and Apprentice of the Year. The surprise award of the night was the Keith McDonald Inspirational Student of the Year, who was selected from the high number of strong nominations across the main categories.
The event welcomed over 100 visitors from Calderdale and the surrounding area, including partners and sponsors who came together to support our students.
First up was the ‘Outstanding Attitude’ award, which went to the student who has demonstrated a positive outlook while at the College, as well as a commitment to their time here, sponsored by C&J Antich & Sons. The winner of this award was David Kalocai.
The ‘Apprentice of the Year’ award, sponsored by Simprint, came next in the line-up and was presented to Jake Dempsey-Bamford who has impressed his employer beyond belief and has constantly produced outstanding work.
‘Adult Student of the Year’, sponsored by O&M Electrical Services, was presented to a student who showed exceptional dedication and performance to their studies alongside overcoming challenging circumstances along the way. This award was won by Callum Hill.
Next was the ‘Young Person of the Year’ award, which went to Ifeoma Nwaebo, Ifeoma received continued praised from her T Level Engineering tutor for her continuous dedication to her studies. This award was sponsored by Dean Clough.
The ‘Calderdale’s College Award’ is our social action award, which this year was sponsored by Angel Care UK. Natasha Elizabeth Brown was the winner of this award. Natasha has been recognised for her devotion to channelling important messages around wildlife conservation through her artistic work, which has been displayed at Dean Clough. On the same night as the Inspire Awards, Natasha also won ‘Inspirational Adult Learner of the Year’ at the West Yorkshire Adult Learner Awards!
Next in the awards line-up was the ‘Apprenticeship Employer Choice Award’, where employers nominated their apprentices to receive recognition for their achievements. This year’s winner was Bethany Jones and the award sponsor was The Grapevine Magazine.
The ‘Resilience Award’, sponsored by O&M Electrical Services was given to a student who has overcome significant obstacles that have previously affected their education, either personally or academically. Harvey Brannan was the winner in this category.
Then it was onto the Keith McDonald Inspirational Student of the Year Award, presented to the student who epitomises excellence in learning and growth and has made a positive impact in our local community. This award went to Holly Bateman.
The entertainment didn’t stop there! On the night, we enjoyed show-stopping performances from Shelly Rebet Aka MSY Stacy and Alicia McMullen, our Calderdale’s Got Talent winner and runner up!
The Inspire Awards is a testament to the hard work, dedication and resilience of Calderdale College students, making it a night to remember for all who attend year-on-year.
