Forth Valley College’s Student of the Year award for 2023 has gone to Fern Ford from Alloa.
Fern (19), who graduated with a HNC Working with Communities and also won Most Inspirational Student in the Department of Care, Sport, Business & Communities, was a worthy winner of the Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) sponsored award, having achieved her qualification despite having to contend with a speech impediment, learning disabilities such as dyslexia and dyspraxia, mental health issues, inspiring her fellow students and caring for and supporting two family members with medical conditions, in the process.
She is now looking forward to studying for a degree in Sociology at university and hopes to become a social worker.
More than 700 students were eligible to graduate this year from Forth Valley College and 230 of them chose to collect their scrolls at three ceremonies, which were held at the College’s Falkirk Campus headquarters for the first time on Friday 6 October.
Guest speaker at the morning ceremony from 10-11.15am was entrepreneur Cameron McCann co-owner of Stirling Gin, while at the 1pm-2.15pm event Janie McCusker, Chair of NHS Forth Valley gave the keynote speech, and at the final ceremony from 4pm-5.15pm Ross Tuffee - Investor and Technology Founder/Entrepreneur - spoke to the assembled graduates and guests.
Trudi Craggs, Interim Chair of the Forth Valley Board of Management gave the Vote of Thanks in the morning, and Vice Chair Lorna Dougall responded at the 1pm and 4pm events.
The Alloa Bowmar Pipe Band were on hand to lead in the top tables and stage parties at all three ceremonies.
Fern, said: “I am so surprised and shocked to have won Student of the Year, I never even contemplated I would be up for that. I feel really good about myself as it has showed that all my hard work has paid off. I would say to any new students… work hard and try to enjoy your time at college. You will make friends and build your confidence as I did. I would recommend it to anyone.”
Forth Valley College Principal Kenny MacInnes, said: “Fern is a very worthy winner of this year’s Student of the Year award. She deserves to be recognised as an inspiration, having faced down so many personal challenges and barriers to complete her qualification and put herself on the path to a great career.
“We are all very proud of what she has achieved and she should be very proud of herself too. I understand her future plan is to secure a university place and continue her learning within either Social Work or a Community based profession and she will be a tremendous asset to this industry in the future.”
