College of HWLS – Inspirational Student Award Winners 2020
Alumni of the Year Award
Muhammad Shahid Ismail
MSC ADVANCING PHYSIOTHERAPY PRACTICE
What did they do:
The Alumni inspired many students in their home country to opt for Sheffield Hallam University. They helped to overcome settling to Sheffield issues and any other issues regarding admission by going out of the way in their busy schedule. They have inspired me to be a good human and respect people.
What was the impact:
Due to their sincerity with the institution the number of students in physiotherapy program has increased. They have made adjustment to UK environment considerably easier. They have also contributed to my professional development by referring certain opportunities that I would never have known of.
How did it inspire others:
Their actions have inspired me to help my peers and not only to help people from my home country but also other students who struggle in their studies and the environment adjustment.
Workplace Award
Cerys Johnson
BSC HON PHYSIOTHERAPY
What did they do:
They have demonstrated exceptional commitment to arranging CPD events for their student colleagues . I have observed outstanding communication skills with external partners and clinicians with a high level of professionalism. In addition to this , they have been a true ambassador for the university whist on placement, and I regularly receive excellent feedback about how good our course it to develop students like them.
What was the impact:
They have developed a real drive for learning in their peers and as academics we have been inspired by her commitment and enthusiasm, considering the busy workload they carry.
How did it inspire others:
They have become an inspirational leader and encouraged enthusiasm in their peers and engaged really well with external partners.
Enterprising & Entrepreneurship Award
Sarthak Mondal
BSC HON SPORT BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
What did they do:
This student has been so proactive in developing their research skills and then applying them to an enterprise venture. They have been actively involved in research and have been published, and has then set up a sports enterprise business which is doing really well. They have done some excellent profile raising activities including producing a podcast of interviews with lots of people (incl. staff) and attending and presenting at conferences.
What was the impact:
The main impact has been on personal development, the student has really worked hard on developing a range of business skills. The student has also had an impact on staff, co authoring papers with two different academy staff.
How did it inspire others:
I believe this student has inspired both staff and people within the industry. He has made an impact through his podcast and the feedback from the people he has interviewed has been glowing. When this student works with group of his peers they are so motivated and it rubs off on the cohort.
Global Impact Award
Jordan Lewis
BSC HON SPORT COACHING
What did they do:
Jordan did his 6 week placement last year in Sri Lanka, and was caught up in the bombings. Jordan, as part of a group of 4 did an excellent job as volunteer coaches with the Foundation of Goodness. Following his return from placement, he decided to use his research project as an opportunity to create a coaching resource for staff, coaches and players in Sri Lanka. He has then, at his own expense, flown out to Sri Lanka to pilot his resource, and also (with his girlfriend) collected clothing and sports equipment as charitable donations, and is looking at other ways to raise money for victims of the Easter bombings.
What was the impact:
Jordan is creating coaching resources for staff and players to use in Sri Lanka and made a number of charitable donations.
How did it inspire others
The Foundation of Goodness can’t speak highly enough of Jordan and SHU. 12 coaches and 50+ players, plus future players will have the coaching resources to guide them for some years to come.
Leadership Award
Zoe Reyes
BSC HON PHYSIOTHERAPY
What did they do:
I met this student when I happened to be walking down the street near campus and was second on scene of an emergency (the student was first on scene). Very quickly we ascertained that the person they were helping needed emergency medical help. The student and I helped the patient until the ambulance arrived, putting into practice the basic life support (BLS) skills they had learned on their course. The student was incredible – calm, kind, efficient and an absolute credit to SHU. I teach on a different course to the student but we also teach our students BLS. We asked if the student would be prepared to share their experience and help out in our teaching sessions for BLS later in the year. Which they agreed to.
What was the impact:
The patient in question was kept safe until the ambulance arrived. This in itself was the best impact it could have. But additionally, he knew that the people who helped him were from SHU and was very grateful that a student from the university was willing and able to help him.
In the subsequent teaching session the student was incredible. Our students listened to them and I genuinely believe that they appreciated the session more because it felt more relevant hearing from the student I am nominating. During the taught session I was struck by the capability, maturity and inspiration that the student brought to the session. I felt proud that they were a SHU student.
How did it inspire others:
Many of our students took the BLS teaching more seriously because they could see the relevance, and we were able to pass on the skills to even more people. The fact that a student with so many other pulls on their time gave up their own time to not only help a passer-by in the street, as well as scores of other SHU students up-skill in BLS is an inspiration in itself.
Placement Advocate Award
Lorna Haywood
MSC DIETETICS
What did they do:
This student is a stand-out student in terms of their academic achievements so far on the MSc Dietetics course and for their professional practice on Placements A and B1. This student achieves this in part through exceptional hard work and self-directed study together with their ability to apply theory into practice on placement with service users. They are supportive of peers and always makes a valid contribution to class discussion whilst providing constructive feedback and solutions to tutors in their role as course representative. At the Placement A Conference with Practice Educators their poster contribution received excellent feedback. This student is a great example of a student with the knowledge and skills, values and behaviours required by the Dietetic Profession and for making a strong contribution to the service user experience of care. The Dietetic Teaching Team thoroughly endorse this student as an inspirational student.
Regional Impact Award
Sophie Brammer
BSC HON NURSING (CHILD)
What did they do:
We are nominating an inspirational third year student nurse who throughout their training has contributed significantly to a number of external charitable organisations and supported in delivering outreach work with our team and wider college of HWBLS. Due to personal reasons they had to defer their original start date of Sept 16 by 12 months, demonstrating their determination to achieve their end vocation at any cost.
Their engagement and contributions have been over and above their total commitment to both academic work and clinical placements, demonstrating excellent time management skills which will undoubtedly benefit them as they approach qualifying as a children’s nurse in Autumn this year.
Their passion for nursing, supporting and inspiring the future generation of nurses has seen them attend annual school and nursery visits within the local community (Hunters Bar School and the Sheffield Hallam University Nursery) facilitating table activities including dental care, healthy eating, looking after our eyes and basic life support. Furthermore they participated in delivering our Teddy Bear Hospital for the SHU nursery children on Collegiate Campus celebrating International Nurses Day in May 2019.
They have been engaged in speaking to and inspiring fellow student child nurses and practice partners; specifically discussing their passion for children’s nursing and around the experiences of support in clinical practice.
Finally and most importantly they have been an ambassador for The Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) and CoppaFeel! breast cancer awareness charity (as a boobette), two charities which focus on promoting best care for young people who may have or may develop cancer at a young age. These roles have involved them presenting to over 450 Aldi employees about the importance of their fundraising for the TCT and supporting local events to raise awareness and fundraise.
What was the impact:
This individual ‘wowed’ us all in all that they set out to achieve and in their ability and desire to make a difference and help others. They do this with the utmost professionalism and discretion and it is evident that they are passionate about these roles and their contributions are valued by all.
In summary, our nominee is approachable, personable, supportive of their peers, always wears a smile and is not afraid to get stuck in and give something a go. They are a credit to the University, the college of HWLS, the department of nursing and midwifery and to their future profession, a truly inspirational young student.
How did it inspire others:
Our nominee continually inspires those around them and all whom they meet due to their un-floundering approach and positive outlook on life. They have a wonderful calmness and use their personal life experiences to support others and demonstrate that anything is possible. Furthermore they contribute their own time unconditionally to inspire future generations of student nurses and users of health services whist remaining focused on and committed to their own academic studies and clinical placements.
We are Hallam Award
Liam Wharin
BSC HON PHYSIOTHERAPY
Nomination a:
What did they do:
This student is an inspiration as they always going a step further than is needed to help the whole classroom learn and is leading by example.
What was the impact:
Without this student I believe that all of the group would have found our last module extremely difficult. But, thanks to their efforts, the whole class did well to achieve target grades and push boundaries.
How did it inspire others:
In their spare time they would go from student to student to help them understand in areas they found difficult. They even made short videos and found useful external information to help us and inspired us all to put the hard work. As a student they are already highlighting what a health care professional is.
Nomination b:
What did they do:
Always a model student in practical sessions but also a superb student who everyone looks up to and aspires to be. They make everyone feel included and their passion for the subject is unrivaled by any of our course mates.
What was the impact:
They make everyone work harder and others knowledge, as well as their own, has improved which has helped us learn the content and enjoy the course to its best potential.
How did it inspire others:
Made everyone work harder to learn the content and encouraged everyone to take part, contribute and fully understand the content
Outstanding Student Voice Award
Roxanne Phillips
BSC HON PARAMEDIC SCIENCE
What did they do:
They are an inspirational student, from a teaching perspective they excel and work so very hard to achieve the excellent results they get. However somehow despite being a busy parent of three and working hard to support their family and on placement with the ambulance service they still find time to be an inspiration to their peers, they are a calm confident and assertive course rep and the perfect interface between academics and students, additionally they give so much of their self to other students peer mentoring the first years and is generally a positive and inspirational student who leads from the front with their peers.
What was the impact:
They played a key role in the formation of the new peer mentoring team. This is a fantastic innervation and without early innovating students like them it would have been likely to fail. What is has been is a great success. Coming to university to study at year 1 can be daunting and without students such as them the extra support that is provided by the peer mentoring team and this student in particular would not have been as successful as it is. Support from lecturers is one thing but support from one’s peers who have lived the same experience is valuable in ways that cannot be measured. It is testimony to this students character that despite personal and academic pressures they give so very much to others on a daily basis. This student inspires me to be a better teacher as well and is a great example of the symbiosis of a successful staff student partnership in education.
How did it inspire others:
The students that this student inspired were down following a first sit failure in their course, the ability of the peer mentoring team to respond and hold impromptu tutorials and support from both an academic as well as a personal perspective has had a profound impact on the first years, They have commented that they feel that it is very useful talking to someone who has been in the same position and that this student is an ambassador to the profession to which they seek to join as well as an inspiration to those who need extra support or are looking to excel in their studies.
Inspiring Individual of the Year Award
Amy Hermes
MSC CANCER BIOLOGY
What did they do:
During their second year at SHU their father died of cancer. Most other people in this situation would have folded and been unable to carry on, but they successfully continued their course and finished with a 2.1 and is now doing a masters. This awful news impacted them but didn’t stop them, they used this experience to drive themselves on and they are now doing a masters in cancer biology and have spent time researching the very cancer that took their father’s life, their ambition is to one day be able to cure the cancer that took their father.
What was the impact:
Every day during their course there is a constant reminder of the stuff they have been through when researching the very cancer that killed their father, but this does not bring them down, it drives them forward in achieving their goals.
How did it inspire others:
I am personally inspired by their story, to be honest I’m not sure many people know about her struggles because it isn’t something they overly talk about, I think if more people did know their story they would 100% be inspired by their never give up attitude and their ability to keep going with not only their course, but their desire to fight and learn as much as possible about the cancer that killed their dad so they can one day stop others from going through the same feelings as they have. I think they are an incredible ambassador for the university and they should be recognised for their ability to fight on despite the adversity they have faced in their personal life.
Compassion Award
Amel Bendali-Braham
BSC HON PHYSIOTHERAPY
What did they do:
This person has done everything to go out of their way for me and others. Persistently being supportive and makes sure we know they are there for us to talk.
What was the impact:
The impact the person has had has been incredible. To me mostly, but I can see to others. They have made my University journey so much better and easier to have a friend, and support when I needed it the most. Despite their own struggles, I have seen this person grow and become a beautiful person. Their presence does nothing but bring joy to us all.
How did it inspire others:
Their continuous efforts have gone on to inspire others that no matter how hard it gets, you can push on and thrive.