Students, staff, friends, and family gathered at South Eastern Regional College (SERC) to celebrate the best of the College community, at the annual SERC Excellence Awards for Downpatrick and Newcastle Campuses (18 April).
Guests were welcomed with a drinks reception before certificates and awards were presented in recognition of outstanding student achievements and staff success.
Awards were presented by Guest Speaker, Jenny Greer, a past student of the Access course at SERC’s Newcastle Campus, who is currently in the final year of her degree in psychology at Queen’s University Belfast.
Jenny gave a lively presentation about her journey to SERC and how it helped her fulfil her ambition of going to university. She described how she was nurtured, encouraged and the confidence boost she gained from the lecturing team at the College. Encouraging the students, she said, “Whatever aspirations you may have, I hope that you all achieve them, and if they change along the way, that is ok too. Your path is your own, and it doesn’t always have to be a straight line, there may be twists and turns but with a little help now and again along the way, the end goal will eventually be in sight.
She concluded, “Tonight is a chance to celebrate, to reflect on the journey you have taken so far and to take stock of how far you want to go, because you can make it happen, for I am an example of that.” She congratulated the students and wished them all good luck.
This year, the College was delighted to have headline sponsorship support from Newry Mourne & Down Labour Market Partnership, who also supported the category awards for the Apprentice of the Year; and UK Healthcare for supporting the Champion of Health and Wellbeing Award.
Following the presentations, a Vote of Thanks was given by Vikki Pinkerton, SERC Student Governor.
Master of Ceremonies, John Nugent, Chair, SERC Governing Body said, “This evening is all about celebrating the efforts and achievements of members of the SERC College community. We celebrate the success of a number of our students in their courses, highlight and reward activity in areas such as entrepreneurship, and work with the Student’s Union – an important part of the college experience – and celebrate staff, both teaching and non-teaching, who have been nominated by students and colleagues who want to highlight their impact on the SERC community.
He added, “At SERC we aim to be a world-class college. We are committed to playing a part in supporting companies and individuals in Northern Ireland to grow and thrive. SERC’s role is to deliver the skills, knowledge and attitudes which are necessary for businesses and organisations to flourish in the global context.
“I congratulate all students and staff on their achievements for which we are all very proud.”
Above: Entrepreneur of the Year and winner of the Boden Cup, Avery Chambers (Crossgar), with John Nugent Chair, SERC Governing Body and Jenny Greer, Guest Speaker.
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