On 29 May, the Golden Apple & Student Voice Awards Ceremony was held by the Student Union at Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU), where our Psychology department proudly represented with as many as 22 nominations and 3 winners!
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The Golden Apple Awards at CCCU is run by the Student Union and allows students to vote for staff members they feel have significantly enhanced their student learning and experience. Alongside these, the Student Voice Awards were given to students who have made outstanding contributions to the university. We are very proud to say we had as many as 22 nominations and 3 winners across a range of various categories – a testament to the hard work of our students and staff.
GradForce Completers
Congratulations to our final year Psychology students Aaron Ali, Bethanie-Jayne Smith, and Kate Alliston for completing the GradForce programme!
Student Volunteering Awards
A huge round of applause to our amazing students who have dedicated significant amount of hours doing worthwhile volunteering alongside their studies. They are undoubtedly making a positive impact on the community outside of academia.
- Diamond:
- Samantha Block (MSc Forensic and Investigative Psychology) has done so many hours that a new category was invented! Sam has been a student rep, volunteered at the student union as a board of trustee member, was a mature student representative and a Finance Officer for six societies.
- Gold:
- Gemma Jhita (BSc Psychology) is active with the Young Lives Foundation as a befriender to young people in foster care placements. She also volunteers as a mentor in a local school with boys aged between 11-16 who need extra support.
- Silver:
- Lily Pierce (BSc Psychology) founded and is now leading the British Sign Language Society, and through this has made BSL accessible to many, both staff and students.
- Lydiah Seymour-Spicer (BSc in Psychology) assists with local food bank collections and volunteers in several cultural and social groups.
- Bronze:
- Michelle Dugboyele (BSc Psychology)
- Nicole Fumo (MSc Forensic and Investigative Psychology) engages with Project Hope and Rising Sun, focusing on tasks such as writing letters to women in prison and conducting data analysis respectively.
- Carys Graely (MSc Psychology) volunteers as a befriender with Keep Talking Services, providing companionship to adults experiencing loneliness and mental health issues.
- Rosa Ho (MSc Psychology) also supports Keep Talking Services plus the Focolare Movement, where she cooks for residential groups, and is a student representative.
Student Ambassador Awards
Our student ambassadors work hard at School and College Engagement events as well as important university-wide events such as Offer-Holder and Answers/Open Days, where they represent Psychology and talk to our prospective and visiting students about what it’s like studying Psychology with us, do campus tours and much, much more. Huge well done to our winner Robyn Spice and runner-up Connor Heiden!
- Campus Champion:
- Robyn Spice (BSc Applied Criminology/Psychology) – WINNER
- Gess Zimmerman (BSc Psychology)
Congratulations to Robyn Spice (pictured right) for not only winning the Campus Champion award, but also impressively winning Ambassador of the Year and being nominated for the Above and Beyond Champion!
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- Above and Beyond Champion:
- Connor Heiden (MSc Foundations in Clinical Psychology) – RUNNER UP
- Robyn Spice (BSc Applied Criminology/Psychology)
- Lily Pierce (BSc Psychology)
Extra congratulations to Connor Heiden (pictured left) for being the runner-up for the Above and Beyond Champion category!
Staff Awards Nominations
The unwavering commitment of our staff was recognised with nominations for our lecturers Dr Emma Barrowcliffe, Sharon Good, Dr John Sabo, and our brilliant PhD instructors Jo Law and Helen Smithson, and not to mention our absolutely amazing Student Support Tutor Lucy Hoople.
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A huge congratulations to all our nominees and winners! Your hard work significantly contributes to the inclusive and friendly atmosphere of our department. Thank you to everyone who voted and recognised the dedication of our team. We also appreciate the efforts of those who were not nominated but continue to make significant contributions. Your commitment does not go unnoticed.