Scholarships awarded in honour of academic achievements

The academic excellence and achievements of new students at the University of Lincoln, UK, have been celebrated through scholarship awards to support their academic learning.

Today (Wednesday 18th November 2015), eight students from across the University’s three Colleges – the College of Arts, the College of Science and the College of Social Science – were presented with awards by Lincoln’s Vice Chancellor Professor Mary Stuart at a ceremony attended by teaching staff and family members.

With a combined value of £28,000, the scholarships will support the students’ academic aspirations as they progress through their university career, and are intended to help cover living costs, including accommodation, food and books.

Professor Stuart said: “The Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship and Excellence Awards give us an opportunity to celebrate the exceptional talent of our students and recognise their academic achievements to date. The scholarships help to enhance and support the higher education experience, supporting them to realise their full potential. “Today’s ceremony brings together our scholarship winners and the academics who are shaping their futures, as well as those students’ families, and we are delighted to welcome them to campus so they can share in our students’ successes.”

Six first year undergraduate students were awarded the University of Lincoln’s Excellence Scholarships, worth £1,000 each. The students had attained the greatest total entry qualifications of all new undergraduates within their academic College. At the awards ceremony, the winners also discovered which of them had been selected to receive the prestigious Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship, which offers an additional £9,000 award to a student who demonstrates academic talent, proven commitment to their subject discipline and a personal impact on their community.

This year’s recipient was named as Jason Elliott, originally from Boston. Jason, who studied at Giles Academy, is now in the first year of a BA (Hons) Media Production degree. He said: “I couldn’t believe it when my name was called out, I was just speechless. This award means I can focus solely on my studies so I can achieve the best possible grades in my degree. “The money will go into a savings fund so it’s there as and when I need it, and it will also help to support me in my professional career by funding things like books and photography equipment. I am hoping to take trips where I can develop my travel photography portfolio for my professional career, and this scholarship will help me realise that goal.”

The other winners for the Excellence Scholarships were BA (Hons) Drama student, Felicity Donnelly, Andrew Knott, who is studying for a BSc (Hons) Computer Information Systems degree, Amber Harrison who is on the BSc (Hons) Health and Social Care course, and Emma Stead on the LLB (Hons) Law degree. A further award, The Earl of Yarborough Scholarship for Chemistry worth £10,000 spread across three years, went to first year BSc (Hons) Chemistry student Jason Fynn. Also presented was the Court Bursary award for £3,000 to Joseph Hallam from the School of Engineering, who is studying for an MSc Mechanical Engineering.