2020 prize winners
The Advantage Award recognises your efforts in developing and reflecting upon your employability skills, helping to prepare you for your future career.
We also award a series of prizes, sponsored by employers, to students who have gone above and beyond during their Award modules.
2020 Advantage Award prize winners
Contribution to the Community Prize
This prize recognises an individual student's passion for their contribution to the local community.
Supported by Teach First
My Nottingham Advantage Award modules have highlighted the importance of giving back to both the student community and society in general. The Award has enabled me to develop skills that employers recognise as key to the success of an organisation. Working with highly motivated students and staff has been a learning experience that has facilitated personal development. This prize has boosted my confidence and encouraged me to further pursue ventures that will have a positive impact on the community.
Winner
Vishnupriya Prathap, MPharm Pharmacy (with Integrated Pre-registration Scheme), third year
My Nottingham Advantage Award modules have provided me with valuable work experience and the ability to reflect practically on my skill set. Volunteering with the Literacy Support Project enabled me to use my passion for literature to enthuse a student community outside of my own. The CV workshop on the Career skills for English students module also helped me identify my skills, which I could then apply to my work with students on the Vikings for Schools Project.
Highly commended
Bowie Adams, BA Hons English, second year
Leadership Prize
This prize recognises an individual student who has demonstrated leadership skills.
Supported by Mars
I enjoyed my time studying, but I was keen to participate in extra-curricular activities and develop my employability skills. The Nottingham Advantage Award was a great platform to achieve these goals whilst prospering personally and professionally. Participating in the Nottingham Consultancy Challenge and the Global Buddies Mentoring Scheme allowed me to guide my peers, coordinate events, handle unexpected situations and more. These activities pushed me beyond my comfort zone to develop qualities such as empathy and accountability, which improved me as a leader.
Winner
Noor Farisan, BSc Hons Economics, second year
Highly commended
Oliwia Kielbowska, BA Hons Management with Chinese Studies, third year
Personal Development Prize
This prize recognises an individual student for their commitment to personal development.
Supported by Capital One
The Nottingham Advantage Award prepared me with vital skills and attributes that I will need as a professional. It also allowed me to endlessly challenge myself outside my studies. Taking part was truly the best way to make the most out of my time at the University. I applied for the Personal Development Prize as it celebrates personal growth and overcoming challenges - values that resonate with me the most. It is a great honour to be graduating from the University of Nottingham with both the Nottingham Advantage Award and the prize. I am eager to see what the future holds for me after graduation.
Winner
Sarah Seohyen Kim, LLB Hons Law, third year
The Nottingham Advantage Award gave me the opportunity to develop new interpersonal skills, whilst improving ones I already had. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and encouraged me to meet new people. All my modules allowed me to make the most of my experiences and deeply reflect on them. This has given me the confidence to pursue other opportunities, gain new experiences and invest further in my personal development.
Highly commended
Essi Quayson, BSc Hons Microbiology with Industrial Year, second year
I applied to the Nottingham Advantage Award because I saw it as a great chance to obtain applicable skills for any future career. It also provided recognition for taking the initiative and furthering my own personal development. The Award helped me discover new potential career paths, took me out of my comfort zone and encouraged me to learn. Due to the wide range of skills developed on the program, I was able to demonstrate my commitment to my personal and professional development with a breadth of detailed, unique experiences.
Highly commended
Sebastian Thomas, BSc Hons Economics, second year
Inclusion Prize
This prize recognises the outstanding achievement of a student who has supported inclusion in their activities undertaken throughout the Award.
Supported by Enterprise Rent-A-Car
I wanted to participate in as many opportunities beyond my degree as possible. My Nottingham Advantage Award modules allowed me to pursue my passion for building positive relationships with young people, encouraging them to step outside their comfort zones and conquer new challenges. I thrive from roles that allow me to take on high levels of responsibility and use my initiative. By working first hand with young people experiencing the barriers of educational inequality, I saw the changes I wanted to make. This demonstrated the impact I can have in raising their ambitions, which I now want to continue exploring as I start my career in teaching. Ultimately, I want to show young people that no goal is out of reach.
Winner
Aabha Khetarpal, MMath Hons Mathematics, fourth year
The Nottingham Advantage Award has helped me bridge the gap between my academic studies and my practical employability skills. I enjoyed the analytical and problem-solving aspects of my Humanities degree, but knew I needed complementary skills to help me stand out in the job market. The Award modules offered an incredible opportunity for self-development by improving my employability in organizations around Nottingham.
Being recognised by this prize is a huge honour as I believe inclusion is an important value every employer should champion. An inclusive environment helps a business and its individuals thrive. It recognises the importance of diversity, and that all employees should feel heard and be encouraged to participate
Highly commended
Dayana Soto Castellon, BA Hons Modern European Studies, fourth year
Professional Development Prize
This prize recognises students' passion, innovation and dedication to their professional development.
Supported by Boots
The Nottingham Advantage Award was an exceptional opportunity that revolved around reflecting on my existing strengths and developing essential transferable skills like project management. I selected modules that allowed me to engage with the local community whilst tapping into the practical aspects of my degree. My modules encapsulated areas such as consultancy, event management, fundraising and data analysis. These were all crucial in enabling my professional development and boosting my employability.
Winner
Andrea Perpetual Fernandes, BSc Hons Economics, second year
Participating in the Nottingham Advantage Award allowed me to develop and learn new skills that have been vital to my professional development. Through the Peer Mentoring and Student Ambassador modules, I developed skills by participating in numerous activities for my course. Peer mentoring improved my communication and being an ambassador gave me greater confidence in public speaking. The Boots module gave me more insight into the workplace as I learnt from industry professionals about what they do on a day-to-day basis. I was also trained in new skills such as negotiation. Overall, the Award has provided me with lots of experience and knowledge that I have used to develop myself professionally.
Highly commended
Diya Nakrani, MSci Hons Natural Sciences, third year
Collaboration Prize
This prize recognises a student's collaborative work such as group projects that have had an impact on the local community or University.
Supported by Save the Children
The Nottingham Advantage Award has significantly boosted my employability through developing a wide variety of my transferrable skills. I was nominated for the Collaboration
prize for helping to establish the Peer Assisted Study Support - PASS – Leader in Economics scheme. Throughout the PASS leader scheme and the Nottingham Consultancy Challenge, I felt that I demonstrated and improved several of the critical skills represented by this prize - communication, leadership, organisation and adaptability.
Winner
Joseph Houghton, BSc Hons Economics, third year
The Nottingham Advantage Award has enabled me to gain recognition for participating in different aspects of the university and engaging in the wider community. It has also encouraged my personal growth and self-reflection. As the Student Project Lead of a Student as Change Agents Project, I developed a vast array of skills and gained experiences which I felt mirrored aspects of both the prize and Save the Children as an organisation. I worked as part of a team and we collaborated to facilitate new initiatives and adapt action plans to improve student welfare.
Highly commended
Hannah Slack, BSc Hons Midwifery, third year
Vice-Chancellor's Global Graduate Prize
This prize recognises an individual student for their global graduate attributes.
Supported by the Vice-Chancellor
I am extremely grateful to the University of Nottingham for the numerous and significant opportunities they have provided me to develop the skills of a global graduate. I am truly honoured to be the recipient of the Vice-Chancellor's Global Graduate Prize in recognition of these skills. In today's evermore globalised society these skills are increasingly valuable for leading a lifetime of leadership and service to the international community.
Winner
Kent Matthews, BVMBVS Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Surgery, third year
The University of Nottingham has provided a fresh start as well as an opportunity to broaden my perspectives. It has been a safe environment to experiment with my ideas and to develop
myself in academia. The Nottingham Advantage Award modules have encouraged me to reflect on my skills so I can emphasise and utilise my strengths, whilst improving my weaknesses. They also allowed me to interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds. I would never have learnt so much without the Award. The learning journey has been very memorable and fulfilling. I would urge students to embrace these opportunities at their disposal and revel in them.
Highly commended
Namita Suberi, BA Hons in English Language and Literature - Malaysia
As I progressed through my studies, I knew just being excellent in academia was not sufficient to realise my future career prospects. When I discovered the Nottingham Advantage Award, I seized the opportunity to be a part of this learning journey. The modules have enhanced my communication skills and intercultural awareness. They have also encouraged me to self-reflect on my strengths and weaknesses. Since completing the programme, I am proud to say that I know myself better and have the confidence to keep improving after graduation. If you want to make yourself the best you can be then I strongly encourage you to grab this opportunity. You will not regret it.
Highly commended
Ooi Sze Min, BSc Hons in Nutrition - Malaysia
The Nottingham Advantage Award provided me with even more opportunities to acquaint myself with the world. More importantly, it gave me a global vision to actively take responsibility to address complex social and cultural issues through hands-on and real-world projects. I was able to collaborate with stakeholders and partners from the corporate and non-profit sectors.
Highly commended
Yuanping Yang, BA (Hons) International Business with Communication Studies - China