For many further education students, the past year has been full of disruptions, disappointment and distractions. Some are halfway through their first year in colleges across the UK, and yet have only spent a few weeks on campus. Others have balanced learning from home with caring and work responsibilities. Most have faced huge uncertainty as the pandemic wreaked havoc on exams and assessment, the economy and life as they knew it. 

But staff at colleges and providers, and learners in further education, have shown enormous resilience and determination. And in early March, the Association of Colleges recognised the achievements of learners across the college sector in the student of the year awards.

The AoC handed out gongs for young student of the year, apprentice of the year, adult student of the year and higher education student of the year - and here, adult student of the year Sam Beckett, who won the award jointly, and apprentice of the year Matthew Moir share their stories. 

College Covid tests: 246 positives in the first week back

More: Feeling low? Remember the student success stories

Opinion: 5 things FE learners need from government now

Association of Colleges’ student awards: The stories of two winners

Sam Beckett, 20, joint-winner of the AoC adult student of the year award

Sam Beckett, who is deaf, studied level 3 health and social care at Middlesbrough College, and is now studying mental health nursing at Manchester Metropolitan University.

At the awards ceremony, Beckett’s teacher, Rachel Dale, said: “I do see Sam as being a role model across the college, in his class and the deaf community as well. He just found a dream of his, and he would not let any barriers get in the way.” 

What did winning an AoC student of the year award mean to you?

I feel honoured to win this award because it made me realise all of my hard work was worth it in the end. But this award isn’t just for me, it is for the deaf individuals who are unsure about their future due to their communication barriers. Winning this award allows me to inspire these individuals and encourage them to pursue their goals and dreams and to break down barriers. If I can do it, then they can.

Describe your experience at college - why do you think you were nominated and shortlisted for the award?

During my time in college, I faced lots of barriers due to being deaf. These barriers did not stop me from achieving my goals - and, in fact, these barriers actually encouraged me to fight through it. When I was allocated to a centre for learning disabilities individuals for my work placement, I was so nervous, and I worried about how I was going to communicate, how I would fit in and how I could be an asset to the team. I was determined to be independent: I had my communication support worker there to assist me with communication, but I chose to not rely on my support all the time as I want to be able to interact with individuals on my own.

I think that was the reason I was nominated for the award - because I was determined to be independent and broke down barriers for myself and for other deaf individuals.

What motivates you in your college course or workplace? 

All of my tutors and my family always supported me through this, encouraged me to aim higher and to prove people who doubted me wrong. That support was a huge motivation for me to work hard and focus more on my goal. 

What are your hopes and dreams for the future?

I want to become a qualified mental health nurse, caring for deaf individuals with mental health issues. There is a huge increase of mental health issues within the deaf community because of discrimination and barriers sanctioned in the hearing world. I want to be the person who breaks down these barriers and encourages deaf individuals to do what they truly want without any barriers to stop them.

Matthew Moir, 20, apprentice of the year 

Moir is a student at Loughborough College studying towards a sports and exercise science coaching degree. He works at Little Bowden Primary School, and was previously a sport school health and wellbeing apprentice. 

Wellbeing apprenticeship programme lead Sunny Chavda said Moir was exceeding expectations straight away.

“He’d probably been in the school about a month and half, and straight away ticked ‘exceeding expectations’ on everything,” he said. “The main thing he wanted to understand was, ‘What do I need to do to be better?’” 

What did winning the AoC apprentice of the year award mean to you?

To win such a high-profile award felt absolutely unreal. I was overwhelmed and humbled to be recognised for all of the work I have done over the past year or so within my school. It’s refreshing to know that such efforts are highly appreciated as with how busy it can be in a thriving educational setting, it can be tricky to highlight the individual work of each student as so many do such great work. I am proud that I was selected out of so many great coaches on the same course.

Describe your experience at college - why do you think you were nominated and shortlisted for the award?

My experience on the apprenticeship was fantastic. I thrived being able to work alongside some really great coaches on the course. I was determined that I wanted to go into a teaching or coaching role, and I naturally had a true passion to go above and beyond within the course. This is probably what set me apart from the others, with my efforts being regularly recognised by my college tutor and workplace mentor.

What motivates you in your college course or workplace?

For me, my motivation comes mostly from within my school. Each day I go into work, I just want to be able to give the children at school the best experience possible in each lesson I teach. To know that I can make a difference to a young person’s education is the best feeling. Getting the opportunity to learn around some other amazing sports coaches is another level of motivation for me: we all share our experiences within our workplaces to help each other improve. 

What are your hopes and dreams for the future?

In the future, I hope to finish my studies at Loughborough and then look to graduate as a fully qualified teacher, continuing within a primary setting. In an ideal scenario, I want to be employed as a full-time teacher within a primary school but with a PE focus to my role.