Held at Darwin College on the University’s Canterbury campus on 8 May, the Kent Student Awards 2015 were attended by more than 150 students and staff.

The overall Student of the Year Award was won by April-Louise Pennant, a final year Sociology with a Year in Hong Kong student. She received her Award from Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Keith Mander and Tammy Naidoo, President of Kent Union .

Ms Pennant also won the Outstanding International/Multicultural Initiative of the Year for promoting racial equality and black culture on campus and beyond. She was a runner up in the Outstanding Contribution to Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity category.

The other Awards categories and winners were:

• Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community – Gullalaii Yousafzai, a postgraduate student in Reproductive Medicine: Science and Ethics, for helping the homeless, volunteering as an English teacher, raising awareness of hate crime and supporting asylum seekers through being a birth partner

• Outstanding Fundraiser of the Year – Billy Yu Lok Ng, Law, for organising and taking part in a wide range of fundraising activities for the Kent Law Campaign

• Chancellor’s Employability Points Award – Billy Yu Lok Ng for campaigning and fundraising for a new Kent Law Clinic on the University’s Canterbury campus

• Outstanding Contribution to Arts and Culture – Daniel Hards, Drama and Theatre, for establishing a theatre company, volunteering and for developing the confidence and creativity of local school children through youth theatre

• Outstanding Contribution to Sport Development – Sam Lee, Astronomy, Space Science & Astrophysics, for his dedication to the Caving Society

• Outstanding Student Entrepreneur of the Year – Oluwafunmilayo Taiwo, Computing and Business Administration with a Year in Industry, for establishing a successful student cleaning business alongside her studies and helping to motivate and inspire fellow student entrepreneurs

• Outstanding Environmental Champion – Fiona Pedeboy, Politics and International Relations, for promoting sustainable practices on campus and setting-up a free shop where students can donate unwanted items for reuse by others

• Outstanding Contribution to Media and Communications – Rachel Cribbin, English & American Literature with an Approved Year Abroad, for successfully re-inventing the student radio’s (CSRfm ) Youth Academy, which provides free media training to young adults

• Outstanding Contribution to Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity – Sebastian Bromelow, Research Masters in Comparative Politics, for single-handedly transforming LGBT History Month at the University and making it the largest in the UK

• Outstanding Contribution to College Life – Miruna Beldiman, Business Studies with a Year in Industry (final year) at Kent Business School (Medway), for her extensive volunteer work and for developing volunteering opportunities for students on the Medway campus

• Outstanding Contribution to the 50th Anniversary – Campus2Campus runners, for running over 200 miles from Canterbury to Paris and raising over £6,000 for charity in the University’s 50th year. The runners included: George Brodie, Jessica Houghton, Cameron Hutton, Ellie Mason, Matthew Prior and Anh Tran

A Special Commendation for Overcoming Personal Challenges was presented to Hannah Beth Ford, Psychology, for her desire to help fellow students who struggle with eating disorders after overcoming her own personal battle.