Inspiring NCC awards evening celebrates remarkable student achievements

Inspirational students who have shown resilience and dedication were recognised at the annual New City College Student Achievement Awards ceremony on Wednesday.

Former student Victor Okunowo, now head chef at London’s AYỌ Collective, was the special guest at the presentation evening which was held during Love our Colleges Week at the Leonardo Royal London City hotel, and also streamed live through the NCC website.

The celebratory evening paid tribute to excellence, hard work and determination, honouring those who had achieved beyond expectation and often despite adversity.

Sincere testimonials about the winning students told of endeavour and commitment – and students themselves were shown on video explaining why college is so important to them.

The Love Our Colleges campaign raises awareness of all the brilliant things that colleges do, day in and day out to build communities, boost businesses, and support individuals. The winning students were all examples of how their college journeys have had a profound effect on their lives.

Some of them had overcome personal tragedy, others had demonstrated care and compassion for their peers. Many had worked hard to achieve in difficult circumstances or had shown outstanding commitment to college life. All the winners were role models who had brought a wonderful positivity and energy to the classroom.

The 250 guests – and those who watched online – were treated to an evening of musical entertainment from college band, Toxic Tears, inspiring stories, and a motivational speech from chef Victor, who reached the semi-finals of Masterchef: The Professionals in 2020.

The evening was a testament to the part New City College plays in serving and contributing to the community, driving socio-economic growth and improving economic prosperity.

The awards have shown that NCC is at the heart of the community with a wide reach across diverse neighbourhoods, and engaging extensively with local businesses, employers and industries.

CEO and Group Principal Gerry McDonald said: “We are immensely proud of all of these students and I have been impressed and inspired by their stories tonight. We wish them every success in the next chapter of their lives – be that with us at college or at university or in employment. I want to pay tribute to my teaching and support staff colleagues who have helped our students to reach such high standards of progress and achievement.”

New City College provides students with the tools to make their dreams come true and support their ambitions by creating a huge range of opportunities and experiences to enrich their lives, gain employment and access elite universities – as was shown by the success stories heard during the ceremony.

Many guests commented on the fantastic event saying it was wonderful to be a part of such an inspiring evening.

Mary Vine-Morris, the Association of Colleges Area Director (London) and National Lead Employment, said: “It was a wonderful celebration of students’ achievements and a brilliant showcase of their talents. I was delighted to be there to see the New City College students receive their awards and to enjoy the student entertainment – for me, a real highlight of Colleges Week 2022.”

Another guest said: “It was an absolute joy to see these students receiving their awards tonight. They are our future and have shown that despite where you start in life, you can achieve great things with perseverance, hard work and determination. The whole event was so professional – a credit to New City College – and shows the excellent curriculum and opportunities available to students at NCC.”

Sponsors of the event were: Ashe Construction, Canary Wharf Group PLC, CTC Building Services, Learning Curve, University of East London, Higgins Proviso Ltd, Ryebridge, Pelican Developments, ECA, Elior, Lexington Independents, Printech and Caterlink.