The University of Lincoln has celebrated the academic excellence of its highest achieving first year students with a number of prestigious scholarship awards.
The scholarship winners came from schools and colleges across the UK, with a presentation event bringing parents and teachers together with their students to celebrate their achievements. The occasion provided an opportunity to recognise the outstanding academic success which saw the students secure a place at university.
Lincoln’s annual Excellence and Vice Chancellor’s Scholarships were presented by Vice Chancellor, Professor Mary Stuart, and the new Earl of Yarborough Scholarship for Chemistry was also awarded for the first time to a recipient from the University’s new School of Chemistry.
The flagship Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship recognises exceptional academic ability and commitment. Worth £9,000 over three years of study, the scholarship rewards an applicant who demonstrates academic talent, proven commitment to their subject discipline and a personal impact on their community.
It is awarded to a single overall winner from among the nine recipients of the University of Lincoln’s Excellence Scholarships, which recognise the accomplishments of the highest achieving new undergraduate students joining the institution. Students who attained the greatest total entry qualifications of all new undergraduates within their College earned a scholarship of £1,000.
Professor Mary Stuart said: “The Vice Chancellor’s and Excellence Scholarship Awards represent a highlight in the University of Lincoln calendar. The ceremony enables us to congratulate our newest students on their outstanding academic achievements and to celebrate the fantastic talent we have here at Lincoln. It is wonderful that so many parents and teachers are able to join us here on campus for this special moment.
“The experience of higher education is one to be celebrated, and these scholarships support commendable recipients so that they can continue to progress and reach their full potential.”
The winners of the Excellence Scholarships discovered at the awards ceremony which of them had been selected to receive the Vice Chancellor’s award. This year’s recipient was named as Nicholas Jennett, originally from Downham Market in Norfolk, who will now receive a total of £10,000 in scholarship funding. Nicholas, who studied at University Academy Holbeach, is now in the first year of his MComp Computer Science degree in Lincoln’s School of Computer Science.
The awards ceremony also included the presentation of the first Earl of Yarborough Scholarship for Chemistry, an award recognising excellence in the subject. The new scholarship was presented to MChem Forensic Chemistry student, Victoria Hugill, who previously studied at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College in Darlington.
The University of Lincoln’s School of Chemistry, led by Professor Ian Scowen, welcomed its first students in September 2014, with a primary focus on integrating multi-disciplinary academic research with applied science and industry. They will be joined next year by students starting at the new School of Mathematics and Physics, which will open its doors to undergraduate and postgraduate students in September 2015.
The School of Chemistry is based in the new state-of-the-art Joseph Banks Laboratories on the multi-million pound Lincoln Science and Innovation Park – a pioneering collaboration between the University and Lincolnshire Co-op.
The Earl of Yarborough Scholarship for Chemistry, the Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship and the Excellence Scholarships run in addition to other scholarships and bursaries provided by the University of Lincoln. These include the University of Lincoln Scholarship, which supports students from less wealthy backgrounds and is worth up to £3,000 in the first year for eligible students. The numerous support packages are designed to ensure that all students can benefit from higher education, regardless of background or financial circumstance.
Nicholas Jennett, the winner of this year’s Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship, said: “It is a great honour to win the Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship, and it was certainly a big surprise. The financial support will prove to be extremely useful throughout my university studies.”