Students and teachers from across the Further Education sector had their achievements celebrated on Thursday 22 May at a special event in the House of Lords.
The annual South London Learner and Teacher Awards are presented on behalf of the Committee of South London Principals (COSLP). Each of the winners had demonstrated outstanding dedication, resilience and success in their learning or teaching.
Kingston College is pleased to announce their winners!
Best Student Kingston College: Sonny, studying Level 3 Certificate in Understanding Mental Health and Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills
“Sonny is an incredibly passionate, empathetic, bright, thoughtful student who has a strong cause to help people and make an impact in a world where a mental health crisis is emerging. He is not only talented in counselling but also took part in a mental health campaign to encourage conversations about existing mental health stigmas and understanding of mental illness within communities and in College to raise awareness and to reduce different stigmas in society. Despite his challenging learning difficulties - he has been diagnosed with autism and has diabetes - he did not shy away from giving a presentation in front of 500 people to speak up about the stigmas around autism and other non-visible disabilities. His engagement inside and outside the classroom is beyond anything I have ever experienced as a teacher.”
Best Teacher Kingston College: Kathrin Wollenberg, Lecturer - Counselling
“Kathrin has been my main tutor for the past year and has always supported me academically and emotionally when I have needed the extra encouragement. When I first joined the Mental Health Certificate at the start of the year, I lacked in confidence and found it hard to speak in front of the class. Now with the support from Kathrin, I feel more confident and able to encourage others. The lessons are always engaging, innovative and fun and I cannot wait to progress onto the Level 3 Counselling skills next year. Thank you, Kathrin, for believing in me, you really are an inspiration.”
The event, which has been running for over 20 years and is hosted by Lord Tope, celebrated 38 winners from 10 colleges across nine South London boroughs. Chair of the Education Select Committee, Helen Hayes MP, commented: “I have personally experienced the transformative impact that FE has on people’s lives. There are many different routes to a successful life and career – many of which are through FE. The Government has a mission to break down barriers to opportunity and FE is central to achieving this. The stories we are hearing today are inspirational, with teachers and students achieving amazing things. This is a sector full of talent, ambition, dedication and hard work. Congratulations to all the winners today, do enjoy your success and special day.”
