Forth Valley College’s Student of the Year award for 2025 has gone to Craig Thomson from Alloa.
Craig (18), who graduated with a HND Hospitality Management and also won the Most Promising Student in the Department of Creative, Digital and Leisure Industries prize (sponsored by Vass Media), was a worthy winner of the top award.
Currently in Florida, USA on an eight month internship at a restaurant through CIEE Internship USA, Craig unfortunately missed out on attending the ceremony, and his friend and fellow FVC student and classmate Brandon Crews picked up both his awards on his behalf. However, he did manage to provide a filmed message on how he felt about winning both awards before he left for the States, which was shown on big screens at the graduation ceremony.
Around 750 students were eligible to graduate this year from Forth Valley College and 215 of them chose to collect their scrolls at the ceremonies, which were held at the College’s headquarters for the third time.
Guest speaker at the morning ceremony (Care, Sport, Business and Communities) from 10-11.15am was Jamie Swinney Chief Executive of Falkirk Football Club, while at the 1pm-2.15pm event (STEM and Construction) Mark Simmers Chief Executive of Celtic Renewables gave the keynote speech, and at the final ceremony from 4pm-5.15pm (Creative, Digital and Leisure Industries) veteran Scottish Broadcaster and Journalist Bernard Ponsonby, spoke to the assembled graduates and guests.
Forth Valley Board of Management members Chris Brodie (morning), Philip Harris (lunchtime) and Vice Chair Lorna Dougall (afternoon) gave the Vote of Thanks at their respective ceremonies.
Also at the first graduation ceremony on the day, former Forth Valley Board of Management Chair Trudi Craggs was awarded a Fellowship of the College, presented by current Chair Dr Abhishek Agarwal, who attended all three graduation events during the day.
The Alloa Bowmar Pipe Band were on hand to lead in the top tables and stage parties at all three ceremonies.
Craig, who also won the Forth Valley Student Association Excellence Award in May 2025, said: “I was a bit taken aback when I heard I had won the Student of the Year award. It is a title I never thought I would ever have been awarded. But I am certainly not complaining.
“I am concentrating on my internship for the next few months, but my plan is to return and go to university. I am certainly glad I have not already filled out my application as I will now be able to add that I am Student of the Year!
“My plan is to go to university and get my degree and then hopefully become a supervisor at a hotel or restaurant, but I could not have made the step towards that without coming to Forth Valley College. I would recommend it absolutely.
“It was great and I had the time of my life. My classmates have turned into friendships and the College has given me a great start for the industry I am about to start my career in.”
Forth Valley College Principal Kenny MacInnes, said: “Craig is a very worthy winner of this year’s Student of the Year award. He also deserves to be recognised as the Most Promising Student in the Department of Creative, Digital and Leisure Industries, and he has put himself on the path to a great career.
“We are all very proud of what he has achieved and he should be very proud of himself too. We all wish Craig well in his internship in the USA and with his future studies at university, and we will be watching his progress with interest. We are sure he will have a very successful career in the Hospitality Industry ahead.”
