PICTURES of the 2017 Graduation for the University of Suffolk at West Suffolk College can be found on Flickr. You can also view coverage of the event on Instagram and Twitter.
There were hundreds of happy faces when students from the University of Suffolk at West Suffolk College graduated at St Edmundsbury Cathedral on Saturday.
Proud friends and relatives applauded as 164 students wearing gowns and mortar boards took to the stage to receive their degrees. Twenty three of them were awarded a First Class Honours Degree and 22 gained Foundation degrees with distinction.
This year 11 students were presented with special sponsored awards for their hard work.
Hundreds of guests, staff, VIPs and sponsors shared in the celebrations, which began with a procession through the Abbey Gardens to the cathedral front door.
The students were welcomed by Ken Golding, Chair of Governors at West Suffolk College, who told them:
“Every graduand here today has shown exceptional grit and perseverance, and their incredible success is testament to this. I know all too well, from my many years as a Governor here, that our students reflect our diverse society: from young adult learners who have begun studying for their degrees straight after leaving school or college; to older students, often supported by their employers, studying in order to improve their skills and knowledge and develop their careers; right through to those students returning to, or coming late to, higher education simply because only now do their circumstances enable them to do so. This mixture makes studying here a unique, special and rewarding experience, one that we hope you have enjoyed.”
In his closing speech West Suffolk College Principal Dr Nikos Savvas said to the new graduates:
“It has been the University’s privilege to nurture your talent here in Suffolk, and we will watch with awe and pride as you, our graduates, transform East Anglia for the better; becoming innovators and entrepreneurs, contributing to your local economy and community, and carving yourselves successful and fulfilling careers. Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in your lives. You have graduated, you have made us all proud. The next step is up to you, and I know that each and every one of you will make a success of whatever you turn your hand to.”
Congratulations to all the winners of special awards, supported by our wonderful sponsors.
| Prize | Awarded for | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| The Finance Cup | Awarded for outstanding performance on a Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) course | RSM |
| The Sentience International Award | Awarded to the student who has shown outstanding commitment and determination within the School of Business Management, Accountancy and Tourism | Sentience International |
| The Towergate Insurance Brokers Award | Awarded to the outstanding student on a Management course | Towergate Risk Solutions |
| The Busy Bees Prize | The Outstanding student of the year in Children's Care, Learning and Development | Busy Bees at West Suffolk Hospital |
| Purcell Excellence Award | Awarded to recognise excellence in the form of a written piece of work prepared by a student. | Purcell |
| The Jennifer J Black Cup | Awarded to the outstanding Hospitality student showing the most progress and dedication | Mr Gerald Black |
| The Lloyds Bank Shield | Awarded to the student making exceptional progress on the BSc (Hons) Psychology & Sociology | Lloyds Bank |
| The Richer Sounds Outstanding Graduate Award | Outstanding Graduate in Audio Production in the UK | Richer Sounds/ Joint Audio Media Education Support |
| BSC, The Chartered Institute for IT Prize | Awarded for the Best Overall Performance on the FdSc Computing and Networking course | Rob Skinner |
| The 4myschools Teacher Training Award | Awarded to the most Outstanding Student on a Teacher Education Course | 4myschools |
| The Vitec Videocom Award | Most determined student on the Higher National Certificate programme | Vitec Videocom Ltd |