College toasts student success
ROCHDALE Sixth Form College hosted its eighth annual celebration evening to recognise the success of its pupils.
Former students were invited to an evening at Rochdale Town Hall for the presentation of some special awards and to receive their official exam certificates.
The presentation of awards opened with a welcome speech by principal Richard Ronksley, who commended the class of 2019 for achieving an impressive set of results.
Their pass rate of 99 per cent placed the college in the top 20 per cent in the country.
Mr Ronksley said: “The evening was a wonderful celebration of students’ achievements. But it also marked the next stage of their lives; moving on to newer and greater things: university, apprenticeship or employment, meeting new friends, travelling to different places and having new experiences.
“Our students really are the future, and I know whatever challenges they face they will overcome them, and make the world a better place in a thousand, thousand different ways.”
Four students were recognised by the college for their outstanding achievements.
The Outstanding Contribution to the Local
Community Award went to Sarah Down in recognition for her hard work in the classroom and for her involvement with Rochdale in Bloom and Petrus.
Sarah Stroud, student performance and development leader, said: “Sarah’s involvement with the local community is something she should be very proud of; she was the official photographer for Rochdale in Bloom and created marketing materials.
“As well as her commitment to the borough, her attitude and attendance to college was fantastic and she left us with a brilliant set of A level results.”
Tobi Akinlolu was awarded with Outstanding Contribution to College Life, in recognition of hard work both in and outside the classroom.
Chemistry teacher Paul Garai said: “As a model student, Tobi went above and beyond in the role as Vice President of the Students’ Union, bringing fresh ideas to the team, participating in many college events and taking a lead on the ‘Movember’ project.”
The Outstanding Dedication Award went to Pete Winyard for his determination and consistency across all subjects.
Geography teacher Rob Partington said: “He would consistently go ‘above and beyond’ my expectations, striving to further his understanding of the course. Not only that, but he has a maturity beyond his years, along with a strong moral compass that ensured he was highly respected by all of his peers.”
Student of the Year 2019 was awarded to Molly Howarth, who was commended by a number of staff for her work ethic, courage and determination.
Aged 16, she overcame the diagnosis of a brain tumour midway through her exams to achieve an incredible set of GCSE and A level results.
Molly is now using her personal experiences as she studies psychology at the University of York with hopes of becoming a clinical psychologist.