To recognise their achievements, the University of Westminster has awarded the top undergraduate students with the Excellence Awards for 2021.
Each year, the Scholarships Officer funds 300 Excellence Awards across the University to reward and encourage undergraduate students to progress their studies and recognise their hard work. The Awards are given to the top Level 4 and Level 5 students in each course area, as determined by exam boards over the summer.
The ceremony for Westminster Business School presented a total of 83 awards to its students with the virtual celebrations hosted on Flipgrid. Professor Malcolm Kirkup, Head of College, gave a congratulatory message to students, commending the awarded students and the Scholarships Office who support these awards. Each of the Heads of Schools within the School also gave their congratulations to the awarded students.
In memory of Westminster Business School colleague, John Detre, the School created a further award for achievement in the face of additional adversity.
Professor Malcolm Kirkup, Head of Westminster Business School, said: “I am delighted to see the achievements of so many of our students being recognised and rewarded in the annual Excellence Awards. It has been an incredibly challenging year for all students during the pandemic, but they have embraced remote learning fully and their engagement and commitment have been extraordinary. The effort and achievements of our students have been truly humbling.”
Business Management (Finance) BA Honours student Filippo Iguera added: “I would like to share my gratitude to the University of Westminster. I feel incredibly fortunate to be studying in an environment that supports and rewards its top students. I want to thank all of my professors and peers who have supported and guided me towards this achievement.
The ceremony for the College of Design, Creative and Digital Industries was hosted by Head of College Professor Janet Jones, and presented by representatives from each of the four Schools: Professor Gregory Sporton, Head of the Westminster School of Arts; Dr Helen Farrell, Assistant Head of the School of Architecture and Cities; Michaela O’Brien, Head of the Westminster School of Media and Communication and Dr Philip Trwoga, Head of the School of Computer Science and Engineering.
Awards were given to 98 students across the College’s full range of courses and were hosted virtually via Blackboard Collaborate, with an introduction by Scholarships Officer Chamellie Pascal. This was followed by a lively discussion, where participants, their guests and course staff engaged in celebrating and commending one another’s achievements.
Talking about the awards, Head of College Janet Jones, said: “I was delighted to award prizes for excellence in academic standing to an amazing list of students across the College. The awards recognise students at the very top of their performance, which means they have maintained excellent results across everything they do. This is no easy task, given how difficult it has been for all students over the past year. Well done to you all!”
Maisy Jacobs, Film BA Honours student and recipient of an award, said: “I am honoured to be receiving this award in my final year at Westminster. This course has exceeded the high expectations I had upon arrival three years ago and I can only hope that future filmmakers will have the same experience during their time here.”
The awards for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences were introduced by Professor Andrew Linn, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The awards were also presented by Professor Alexandra Warwick from the School of Humanities, Elizabeth Duff from Westminster Law School, Professor Brendon Noble from the School of Life Sciences and Professor Dibyesh Anand from the School of Social Sciences.
A total of 129 students were awarded, and the virtual awards were attended by over 150 people with students, friends, family and colleagues coming together online to recognise the students’ achievements. Attendees listened to a two-song recital by student Krystal Kissi, followed by a slideshow presenting the recipients of the awards.
Commenting on the ceremony, Head of College Professor Andrew Linn, said: “It is a long journey from success on joining Westminster, marked by our matriculation ceremonies, to the success celebrated at graduation. That journey is marked by some extraordinary achievements on the way, and it is a pleasure for all of us to celebrate those academic triumphs with families and friends. Students across the College are producing outstanding work and sometimes under challenging circumstances, often working in English as a foreign language. It certainly deserves a celebration!”.
Politics and International Relations BA Honours student Ethan Almond said: “I have been able to make so much progress in my life, inside and outside of university, and a lot of that progress is thanks to Westminster. Receiving an Excellence Award has let me know that the University appreciates my contributions too.”
Learn more about academic prizes at the University of Westminster.
