Honours fortop students

Twelve of Sussex’s Further Education Colleges nominated students for the 13 awards.

Three winners were from Central Sussex College’s Sixth Form Haywards Heath and a runner-up from the Crawley campus.

Tom Clarke, 18, from Haywards Heath was awarded ‘A-level/IB student of the year’. Tom, 18, studies Chemistry, Biology, English Literature, and Mathematics and has been accepted to read medicine at Oxford this autumn.

Seb Nottage, 18, from Crawley Down was presented with the prize for ‘Sussex Learner of the Year’ sponsored by exam board, OCR.

He has already completed A-levels in Maths and Physics in one year instead of the normal two and has been offered a place at Cambridge to study mathematics after he completes his studies this year. He has achieved this despite being diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD.

Conner Patrick, 18, from Burgess Hill was awarded the FE Sports Learner of the Year, sponsored by Albion in the Community, for showing remarkable diligence and application in his studies not letting extremely serious personal health issues stand in the way of his college work and ambition to succeed. Conner’s health problems have meant that he has spent a substantial amount of time in hospital and has had to reduce his involvement in the physical side of sport, which he loves.

David May, who nominated Conner, said: “Conner is gifted at sports and has had to make huge adaptations to his lifestyle and aspirations to accommodate his health issues and continue to have a ‘normal’ life.”

Student Maria Melis, 19, who studies at the Crawley campus, was awarded runner-up in the final category on the night – NCFE Sussex Learner of the Year.

Each winner and runner-up received a trophy, certificate and gift vouchers.