Student excellence celebrated at Northern Regional College Recognition Awards

Northern Regional College has celebrated the outstanding achievements of its student community at the annual Student Recognition Awards, held last week at the Trostan Avenue campus in Ballymena.

The ceremony brought together students, staff, and industry partners to honour those who have demonstrated academic excellence, inspirational personal growth, and meaningful contributions to college life and the wider community.

The awards event highlighted the diversity and determination of learners across all college campuses, with accolades presented across a wide range of categories from academic achievement and peer-nominated honours to apprenticeships and community engagement.

Mel Higgins, Principal and Chief Executive of Northern Regional College, praised the students’ commitment and resilience, particularly in the context of a bright future for the institution with a new campus on the horizon.

“This year’s awards come at an exciting time as we prepare to open the doors of our new Ballymena campus this September. The new campus represents a significant investment in the area and will transform the Further Education landscape for our local community for years to come.

“As we’ve seen, our students continue to inspire with their talent, determination and resilience. Whether overcoming personal challenges or excelling in their studies, we have heard so many heartwarming stories.

“Congratulations to all award recipients on your well-deserved success.”

Celebrating standout success

Among the top honours was the Highest Achieving Student – Exceptional Academic Achievement, awarded to:

• Tamzine Dobbin (Level 3 Creative Media Practice)

Tamzine Dobbin, winner of the Highest Achieving Student - Level 3 Creative Media Practice award, pictured with Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College and her tutor Adele McCann, Course Co-ordinator Level 3 Creative Media Practice.

• Joshua Davis (BTEC Level 3 IT)

• Dylan Wilson (L3 Computing)

Dylan Wilson, winner of the Highest Achieving Student - Level 3 Computing award, pictured with Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College.

• Octavia Szefler (Level 3 Beauty Therapy)

Octavia Szefler, winner of the Highest Achieving Student - Level 3 Beauty Therapy award, pictured with her tutor Marlene Robinson and Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College

Joe Moore, studying Pathways2Employment, was recognised as Best in Class, also receiving Highly Commended recognition as a Class Representative of the Year and an FE Sector Excellence Award in the Level 1 category.

Joe Moore, winner of the Best in Class - Pathways2Employment award, recipient of the FE Sector Excellence Award - Level 1, and highly commended in the Class Representative of the Yearcategory, pictured with his parents Tracey Moore and Jim Moore and Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College.

The Community Ambassador Award was presented to Megan Crilly, with Jodie Anderson earning a Highly Commended mention. Jodie also won the Inspirational Student – Nominated by Peers award, with Skye Dawson recognised as Highly Commended.

Megan Crilly, winner of the Community Ambassador Award, pictured with her friend Shealyn Smyth and Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College.

Jodie Anderson, winner of the Inspirational Student - Nominated by Peers award and highly commended in the Community Ambassador Award category, pictured with Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College.

Inspirational and peer-nominated awards

The Inspirational Student Award spotlighted exceptional personal journeys, with honours going to:

• Asmaa Alsaghir

Asmaa Alsaghir, winner of the Inspirational Student award, pictured with her lecturer Dr Mihaela Ghisoiu and Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College.

• Megan Robinson, Karl Greer, Jason Glenn, João Ferreira, Jessica Hargan, and Tiana McMaster (Highly Commended)

Megan Robinson, highly commended in the Inspirational Student category, pictured with her mother Michelle Robinson and Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College.

Jason Glenn, highly commended in the Inspirational Student category, pictured with Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College.

João Ferreira, highly commended in the Inspirational Student category, pictured with his father and Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College.

Tiana McMaster, highly commended in the Inspirational Student category, pictured with her lecturer Sandra Hamilton and Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College.

The College’s ethos of kindness was also reflected in the Kindness in College Award, awarded to Tallon Blaze Shields-Pettitt and Suzanne Oag, the latter nominated by a peer.

Tallon Blaze Shields-Pettitt, winner of the Kindness in College Award, pictured with his father Darren Shields-Pettitt and Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College.

Suzanne Oag, winner of the Kindness in College Award - Nominated by Peer, pictured with her husband John Oag and her children Charlotte and Andrew and Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College.

Recognising skills and lifelong learning

The College acknowledged excellence across vocational and adult learning pathways. Key awardees included:

• Essential Skills Student of the Year: Sean Diamond

Sean Diamond, winner of the Essential Skills Student of the Year award, pictured with Frankie McEldowney, Curriculum Area Manager for Essential Skills at Northern Regional College and Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College.

• Adult Learner of the Year: Laura Balmer (Highly Commended)

Laura Balmer, highly commended in the Adult Learner of the Year category, pictured with her lecturer Meabh O’Reilly and Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College.

• Apprentice of the Year / Trainee of the Year:

Abbie Foster (L2 Carpentry & Joinery)

Abbie Foster, winner in the Apprentice/Trainee of the Year – Level 2 Carpentry & Joinery category, pictured with her lecturer Adrian Symth and Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College.

Ben Smyth (L2 Engineering)

Joshua Wylie (L2 Electrical Engineering)

Jack Pollock (FdSc Computing)

Jack Pollock, winner of the Apprentice/Trainee of the Year - FdSc Computing award, pictured with his Father David and Mother Caterina and Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College.

Aaron Patterson (Level 3 Engineering – Welding)

Aaron Patterson, winner of the Apprentice/Trainee of the Year - Level 3 Engineering - Welding award, pictured with Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College.

Dylan Addidle (Higher Level Apprentice in Computing)

Dylan Addidle, winner of the Apprentice/Trainee of the Year - Higher Level Apprentice in Computing award, pictured with his mother Karen Addidle and Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College.

Ben Smyth, winner of the Apprentice/Trainee of the Year – Level 2 Engineering award, Joshua Wylie, winner of the Apprentice/Trainee of the Year – Level 2 Electrical Engineering award, and Jack Wilson, highly commended in the Apprentice/Trainee of the Year – Level 2 Engineering category, pictured with Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College, along with Keri Hepburn, Performance & Development Administrator, and Nicole Sheridan, Performance & Development Graduate from Wrightbus.

Callum O’Kane, Owen Catterson, Charlie Fleck, Jack Wilson (Highly Commended)

Owen Catterson, highly commended in the Apprentice/Trainee of the Year category, pictured with his mother Stacey Catterson and Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College.

The FE Sector Excellence Awards went to:

• Charlie Fleck (Apprentice)

Charlie Fleck, highly commended in the Apprentice/Trainee of the Year – Level 2 Carpentry & Joinery category and recipient of the FE Sector Excellence Award – Apprentice, pictured with his lecturer Adrian Symth and Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College.

• Karl Greer (Lifelong Learner)

Karl Greer, highly commended in the Inspirational Student category and recipient of the FE Sector Excellence Award – Lifelong Learner, pictured with Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College.

• Joe Moore (Level 1)

• Naomi Turtle (Schools Partnership)

• Lauryn Johnston (Higher Education)

Lauryn Johnston, recipient of the FE Sector Excellence Award - Higher Education, pictured with her mother Donna Johnston and Mel Higgins, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College.

Future-focused and community-driven

With anticipation building for the opening of its state-of-the-art Ballymena campus in September 2025, the awards ceremony marked a key moment in the College’s mission to support student success and community advancement.

To explore courses and apply for upcoming academic opportunities, visit www.nrc.ac.uk.