undergraduate of the year awards
2021
Winners
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The
Future CFO
undergraduate
of
The
year
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Alan Potts
Accounting & Finance
|
Manchester Metropolitan University
After leaving college, Alan gained experience in a few different jobs while also studying with the Association of Accounting Technicians in his own time. Upon completing his AAT qualification, he enrolled on an accounting and finance degree at Manchester Metropolitan University to continue towards his ambition of becoming a chartered accountant. In his spare time, Alan enjoys playing football, lifting weights and training in Muay Thai.
finalists
Alistair Tait | University of Edinburgh | Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science
Charlotte Johns | University of Bath | Mathematics
Christopher Dy | University of East Anglia | Economics with a Year Abroad
Emilia Dobrzanska | Royal Holloway, University of London | Financial and Business Economics
Freddie Barnes | University of Bath | Business Administration
Jamie Kopelowitz | Durham University | Economics
Oliver Bailey | University of Bath | Management
Parnita Agarwal | University of Manchester | Management
The
Young Activist
undergraduate
of
The
year
.jpg)
Curtis Parfitt-Ford
Computer Science
|
University of Southampton
Curtis is a software developer and activist and is currently studying computer science at the University of Southampton. Last year, he launched a legal challenge against the government’s A level grading algorithm, which based individuals’ grades on their school’s history rather than their own achievements. Seeing that the system would be greatly unfair, he teamed up with Foxglove, a non-profit specialising in algorithmic justice, to make things right. Curtis’ legal challenge led to the government’s U-turn, granting students’ individual centre-assessed grades. Curtis also runs a company called Loudspeek, which enables progressive political campaigns to put supporters in touch with their representatives.
finalists
Alvaro Perez | University of Glasgow | Biomedical Engineering
Ayush Sanghavi | University of Cambridge | Law
Ellen J McCarthy | Durham University | History
Esther Oloyede | University of Cambridge | Human, Social and Political Sciences
Imogen Duke | University of Oxford | History
Jacob Kelly | University of Oxford | Philosophy, Politics and Economics
Karim Ali | King's College London | Pharmacology
Mia Seljubac | University of Law | Law
Rebecca Moore | University College London | History
Sanah Kashyap | University of Cambridge | History
Tessy Idemudia | Gosforth Academy
Yasmin Patel | University of Cambridge | History
Yi Kang Choo | Queen's University Belfast | Law
The
Celebrating Resilience
undergraduate
of
The
year
.jpg)
Ellie Lilliott
Mechanical Engineering
|
De Montfort University
Ellie is in her first year of a mechanical engineering degree at De Montfort University. As an air cadet she graduated from the Qualified Aerospace Instructors’ Course and used this to teach younger cadets. She also volunteers with her local Scout troop and has represented the UK at the World Scout Jamboree in Japan. Sport is a huge passion for Ellie and she is involved in rowing, rugby and boxing. In her spare time, she enjoys travelling and spending time in nature. Looking to the future, Ellie hopes to improve inclusivity of autistic individuals and young people who struggle with their mental health.
finalists
Alex Line | Cardiff University | Chemistry
Bartol Sikora | University of Oxford | Engineering Science
Cyrus Goodger | University of Dundee | Biomedical Engineering
Fabiha Chowdhury | University of Leeds | Physics with Astrophysics
Israel Mason-Williams | Queen Mary, University of London | Computer Science
Jack Wright | Leeds Beckett University | Computer Science
Josiah Edebiri | University of Manchester | Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Machi Onuorah | University College London | Chemistry
William Draper-Barr | Imperial College London | Mechanical Engineering
The
LGBTQ+
undergraduate
of
The
year
.jpg)
George Barker
Medicine
|
University College London
After moving to London from Merseyside, George studied medicine at University College London. Between ward rounds, clinics and volunteering in intensive care during the Covid-19 pandemic, George volunteered for Sexpression:UK, a charity delivering comprehensive and LGBT+ inclusive relationships and sex education in secondary schools. He served as national director, with highlights including BBC interviews, speaking at the House of Lords and lobbying the Department for Education to improve the curriculum. George’s clinical interests are pre-hospital emergency medicine, sexual health and space medicine, having attended courses at the European Space Agency. When not working, he performs in a medical sketch group: The MDs Comedy Revue.
finalists
Daniel Kirkbride | Newcastle University | Psychology
Erica Chan | Durham University | Social Sciences
Francesca Warren | University of York | Law
Joshua Bastow | University of Kent | Applied Bioscience
Kai Heale | Durham University | Computer Science
Mitchell Burns-Jackson | University of Liverpool | International Politics and Policy
Phillip Rucci | University of Southampton | Computer Science
The
First Generation
undergraduate
of
The
year
.jpg)
Kathryn Moore
Russian and History
|
University of Nottingham
Kathryn is a first-generation student at the University of Nottingham. She studies Russian and history and is currently on her year abroad. Kathryn is involved in a range of societies, such as the East Midlands Universities Air Squadron, and she is working at a local GP practice and mass vaccination site to aid with the COVID-19 vaccination programme.
finalists
Abdullah Sheikh | Queen Mary University of London | Economics, Statistics and Mathematics
Bingming Li | University of Cambridge | Mathematics
Daniel Hempstead | University of East Anglia | Economics
Evelyn Chen | University of Southampton | Economics
Jenny Guo | University of Warwick | Economics
Jude D'Alesio | University of Bristol | Law
Liam Paul McCue | University of York | Economics
Mateo Bartra | University of Leeds | Economics
Megan Jenkins | University of Bristol | Geographical Sciences
Zachary Levenson | University of Bristol | Aerospace Engineering
The
Black Heritage
undergraduate
of
The
year
.jpg)
Lara Vincent-Young
Business and Management
|
University of Exeter
Lara is a final-year business and management student at the University of Exeter. Throughout her undergraduate career, she has immersed herself in university life by taking on roles of responsibility, including academic representative and student ambassador, in which she has been able to provide representation for the BAME community. In her third year, Lara completed a 14-month marketing placement at Johnson and Johnson. This year, Lara has enjoyed working in the business school’s careers team as an employability ambassador and she is an active member of the cheerleading and gymnastics club, for which she has served as the uniform and branding officer.
finalists
Anita Adebola | Aston University | International Relations and Social Policy
Ashae Mederick | University of Birmingham | Philosophy
Christopher Willis | University of Oxford | Economics and Management
Debra Aziba | Aston University| International Business and Management
Melody Stephen | University of Manchester | Law with International Study
Priscilla Appiah | Cardiff University | Law
Tenishia Prah | Aston University | Law
Thora Paul | Lancaster University | Biomedical Science
Zandile Khanye | Teesside University | Early Childhood Studies
The
Management
undergraduate
of
The
year
.jpg)
Theodor Sergiou,
Philosophy, Politics and Economics
|
University of Oxford
Theodor is studying philosophy, politics and economics at the University of Oxford. Speaking out and getting his voice heard has always been a necessity for him and he uses these skills to represent people whose voices are seldom heard on a national scale. He is the youngest person in British history to contribute to a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street. Theodor has travelled across the world, undeterred by his visual impairment, to build a school in Ecuador and teach English in India – and he has successfully started youth forums in between hospital admissions.
finalists
Catherine Davies | University of Bristol | Management
Flynn Duggan | Loughborough University | Marketing and Management
Jessica Norton | University of Birmingham | Political science
Kerrith Parkes | University of Leeds | Business Management and the Human Resource
Laura Griffin | University of York | Business and Management
Louis Jones | Cardiff University | Sport Management
Militsa Mihaleva | University of Bath | Management
Rianna George | University of Glasgow | Accountancy
Simran Bassi | University of Bristol | International Business Management and German
The
Sustainable Thinking
undergraduate
of
The
year
.jpg)
Vanessa Lee
Law
|
University of Edinburgh
Vanessa is a penultimate-year law student at the University of Edinburgh, where she is currently president of the consulting club and Lawyers Without Borders society. She is also the co-chairperson of the Edinburgh Charity Fashion Show. After volunteering in Western China and Kenya, she founded Prospects Foundation, where she aims to advocate for access to education for underprivileged Kenyan students. So far, the organisation has helped over 200 students. Vanessa has also completed internships within the legal, consultancy and investment banking sectors. Outside of her studies, she is passionate about entrepreneurship and has been accepted onto various accelerators to develop her business.
finalists
Amy Farrer | Lancaster University | Advertising and Marketing Management
David Winters | University of Nottingham | Product Design and Manufacture
Euan Pringle | University of Bath | International Development with Economics
Evelyn Morgan | Heriot-Watt University | Chemical Engineering
Jessica Slater | University of Bristol | Geography
Louie Roberts | University of Cambridge | Geography
Louise Parkinson | University of Birmingham | Geology and Physical Geography
Valerie Sophia Doeringer | Lancaster University | Marketing Management
Vicky Regan | University of Bath | Chemical Engineering
About the event
Now in its 12th year, the TARGETjobs Undergraduate of the Year Awards brought together prominent employers and talented undergraduates for a prestigious awards ceremony, presented virtually by Rachel Riley on Friday 30 April 2021.
The nine awards were partnered by leading organisations: CIMA, Clifford Chance, National Student Pride, Attitude, myGwork, One Young World, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, HSBC, L’Oréal, Police Now and Rolls-Royce. There were fantastic prizes up for grabs for the students involved, including paid internships, meetings with senior executives and a graduate job!
Reaching the final is a huge achievement for the 90 or so student finalists, with over 5,000 entries from 140 different universities across the UK. The awards are an excellent opportunity for universities to showcase the calibre of undergraduates at their institution, while giving their students the chance to practise the graduate recruitment process and secure positions with internationally recognised organisations.
With all entrants completing an application, an online assessment with situational, numerical and inductive reasoning tests devised by SHL and an assessment day, the employers also have a pipeline of excellent potential candidates for future placements and graduate vacancies.
Both the finalists and the winners showcased an impressive range of skills, experiences and achievements, but what makes an Undergraduate of the Year? While some have studied, worked and volunteered all over the world, others have set up their own organisations or become ambassadors for important causes. A sample of the incredible attributes of the winners include: an air cadet, a STEM ambassador, a Muay Thai enthusiast, a volunteer in a local GP practice, the founder of a charity advocating for access to education, a member of a medical sketch group and the youngest person in British history to contribute to a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street.
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