BSDC students celebrate at HE Graduation
22 September 2021
On Friday 17th September 2021, Burton and South Derbyshire College hosted two graduation events at The Hilton, St. George’s Park to celebrate the success of its higher education students.
The first ceremony was the postponed 2020 event and saw the graduation of 2020 Higher Education students, as well as Rob May, BSDC alumni and Managing Director of IT and Cyber Security company, ramsac, receiving an honorary fellowship. Meanwhile, the second ceremony saw the graduation of 2021 graduates, along with the presentation of an honorary fellowship to Nik Hardy, Managing Director and Founder of Hardy Signs.
In keeping with tradition, the students wore full academic dress and had official photographs taken in the grounds of St. George’s Park prior to the celebrations. The caps and gowns set the scene for the formal proceedings, which created a buzz of excitement amongst graduands and guests.
Burton and South Derbyshire College offers a wide range of Higher Education courses, including a number of courses run in partnership with and awarded by Staffordshire University. Studying Higher Education at BSDC provides students with a cost effective route to gaining a university level qualification. The College’s University Centre also recently achieved 97% in the National Student Survey (NSS) for Higher Education provision, covering student satisfaction in areas such as teaching, learning opportunities, assessment and feedback, and academic support.
During the ceremony at The Hilton, students were presented with certificates to mark their success in a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including honours degrees; foundation degrees; higher national diplomas; higher national certificates and professional qualifications.
The Higher Education Learner of the Year Award 2020 went to Degree in Contemporary Creative Practice (Graphic Design) student, Sami Mohammad. Throughout his time on the degree programme, Sami displayed aptitude, enthusiasm and resilience in all aspects of his study, resulting in consistently high levels of achievement and gaining a first-class honours. During his studies, he undertook an internship with the BSDC Marketing Team, eventually leading to a permanent role. Sami was also able to further the digital skills of his peers by fostering collaboration between the Marketing Department and learners through social media and digital briefs.
Meanwhile, the HE Learner of 2021 was announced as being HNC in Civil Engineering student, Sam Matthews. Previously a personal trainer, Sam decided to return to college to retrain in a new area. She made a cautious start to her studies but soon settled in and began to shine, becoming a course representative and helping her peers wherever possible. Sam gained hands-on experience with a work placement at St. Modwen Homes which increased her confidence and led to her to successfully becoming a Trainee Civil Engineer for M. Lambe Construction. Alongside starting a new job during the pandemic, Sam also produced consistently strong academic work, achieving distinctions across the board.
Chief Executive and Principal, Dawn Ward CBE said: “The HE Graduation Ceremony is a highlight of the College calendar. It has never been more important for people to ensure they have the high level skills necessary for success in the world of work. Continuing education with a Higher Education course at college is a fantastic way to advance career prospects and we wish our students all the best in their future careers.”