MDXSU Awards 2020: The Winners
We are excited to announce the winners of this year's MDXSU Awards!
These annual awards are our way of celebrating the work and achievements of Middlesex University students over the past year, recognising the contribution they have made to the university, the community and the lives of their fellow students.
We received over 200 nominations this year from students as well as from MDXSU and University staff, and external organisations. These nominations were then reviewed by a judging panel of elected officers and MDXSU staff to decide the final shortlist and winners.
Congratulations to our winners! Those nominated and shortlisted should be incredibly proud to be recognised for their work. The dedication and passion from students who work and volunteer with us is truly inspirational, and you should all be so proud of your achievements over the past year.
This year's winners were announced on Wednesday 22nd April by your Student Officer team via Facebook and Twitter. Read on for the full results.
THE RESULTS
Student Voice Leader of the Year
This award recognises the work of a Student Voice Leader within each faculty who has spent the year working hard to make changes for students at Middlesex, engaging their coursemates to gather feedback, keeping them informed, and building relationships with university staff.
The shortlist for Arts & Creative Industries was….
Anayis Der Hakopian
Melissa Nabre
Snigdha Magon The winner is….
Anayis Der Hakopian
Anayis was praised for going above and beyond as an SVL by creating a social media page for students and running several events including film screenings and group workshops. Anayis works collaboratively with academic staff to improve the course and always makes sure to check in with her fellow students to gather feedback.
The shortlist for Professional & Social Sciences was….
Florentina Daniela Bonghene
Jenny Gondalia
Maria NtyliThe winner is….
Jenny Gondalia
Jenny engaged students to gather feedback and made sure to keep everyone up to date after meetings about what was raised. She was praised for her proactive approach to gathering feedback, and for being active within other areas of student life, including sitting on Union Council and speaking about mental health on MDX FM.
The shortlist for Science & Technology was….
Adam Painting
Fahimullah Hayat
Joy Oforkansi-PiusThe winner is….
Adam Painting
Adam was praised for his dedication to his role, and for creating a society to provide a creative outlet and support students within the faculty. Adam is always exploring new ways to get people involved and to develop their creativity. He has engaged with students and listened to feedback, making positive changes which have hugely benefitted students.
COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION AWARD
This set of awards recognises students and student groups who have made a positive contribution to either a specific community or liberation group on campus, the wider MDX community or the local community.
Shortlisted for their work supporting our student communities and liberation groups were…
Anh Doan
Aqsa Rabbani
Hive Potential Society
Lisa Hunt
Paul ShubhankarThe winner of the Community Contribution Award for supporting liberation groups is….
Hive Potential Society
Hive Potential have shown a great commitment to accessibility throughout the year, proactively addressing issues and delivering creative and engaging workshops. They have sought to engage all students by listening to members to provide sessions, projects and workshops that are relevant to students’ interests, and ensured that all activities are accessible.
The winner of the Community Contribution Award for supporting student communities is….
Aqsa Rabbani
Aqsa is a strong advocate for the communities she is part of. Her commitment to raising awareness of intersectional issues through organising events with a pro-active attitude, enthusiasm and confidence should really be commended. She is passionate about her work and a shining example of someone who is dedicated, incredibly driven and highly motivated
Shortlisted for their engagement in the Community Placement Scheme were…
Anayis Der Hakopian
Natasha White
Sumaya Ibrahim
The winner is….
Sumaya Ibrahim
Sumaya used her local knowledge to become a reliable, relatable youth work assistant to those in the community during her placement with Spotlight. She were confident enough to engage with a wide variety of different people to support activities and was praised for her flexibility, judgement and initiative to learn and make the right decisions to create a positive impact.
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO STUDENT MEDIA
This award recognises students who have made an outstanding contribution to Student Media at Middlesex. The panel were looking to recognise students who contribute to The Echo, SMTV, MDX FM or to the events, marketing or general development of Student Media.
The shortlist for this award was…
Ahmad Joghazi
Josh O'Dwyer
Natalie Rose The winner is….
Josh O'Dwyer
Josh is always looking to improve MDX FM, and organised a 24-hour live stream event, engaging various societies to raise money for charity. His dedication to Student Media and students has been noted by all who are involved with MDX FM, and he has been consistent across the year, always making himself available, offering support to students where he can.
BEST NEW SOCIETY
Every year, MDXSU supports students to set up exciting new societies relating to their studies, interests, background or beliefs. This award will recognise a society which has been established or re-established within the past academic year which has shown dedication and innovation in reaching new members and has put on a number of successful events and activities.
The shortlisted new societies were…
First Aid Society
Polish Society
Turkish SocietyThe winner is….
First Aid Society
First Aid Society have invested a great deal of time and energy in getting the society off the ground this year, running a huge number of activities and creating a real sense of community amongst its members. The panel was impressed by the dedication and passion of the society’s leaders, along with the society’s amazing contribution not only to life at MDX, but to the local community too.
STUDENT-LED EVENT OF THE YEAR
This award recognises a student or student group who delivered an event which showed innovation and creativity, was inclusive, demonstrated excellent project management and organisational skills, and which was enjoyable for guests and successful in terms of attendance.
The shortlisted events were…
Charity Week - Islamic Society
Entrepreneurship & Marketing Workshops - Entrepreneurship Society & ENACTUS
Prom - LGBT LiberationThe winner is….
Prom - LGBT Liberation
Prom was thoroughly planned, and LGBT Liberation made sure to consider accessibility and guest experience. The event was praised for its inclusive nature, and LGBT Liberation were praised for their hard work transforming the venue and making sure every attendee had a good time and felt welcome.
STUDENT GROUP OF THE YEAR
This award celebrates the hard work of our amazing societies and liberation groups and the impact they make on student life at Middlesex – organising events, leading campaigns and providing opportunities for students to meet new people or learn new things.
The shortlisted groups were….
Burlesque Society
K-pop & Culture Society
MDX SAGA
SHAREDINThe winner is….
K-pop & Culture Society
K-pop & Culture Society have been incredibly active this year, reaching out to new students to build their membership, and have put on a range of inclusive and fun events, creating a welcoming community for its members. The committee were praised for their hard work planning and running events, and for the range of activities on offer each week.
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO STUDENT LIFE
The judges in this category were looking to celebrate a student who has made an outstanding impact to student life by encouraging, empowering and inspiring their peers, showing passion and enthusiasm, and helping others to make the most of their time at MDX.
The shortlist was…
All Students Guide Group
Corey Hennelley & Shane Considine
Dilini SeneviratneThe winner is….
Dilini Seneviratne
Dilini was praised for her incredible leadership skills and ability to inspire and mentor her peers. She has encouraged students to take part by conducting workshops and hosting cultural events, collaborating with Universities across London, impacting students even outside of MDX, and has shown incredible dedication and enthusiasm.
MDXSU STUDENT STAFF MEMBER OF THE YEAR
This award recognises a student staff member who has gone above and beyond to make a positive contribution to working at MDXSU, helping others and creating a welcoming and positive space for all students who engage with us.
The shortlist was…
Darcia Targyreon Romanov
Grant Kedge
Natalie RoseThe winner is….
Darcia Targyreon Romanov
Darcia has gone above and beyond in her role as a member of Team MDXSU this year, taking on a huge number of shifts and helping out with so many different activities from merch stalls to club nights! She is always friendly and welcoming and is a really valued member of the team.
MDXSU INTERN OF THE YEAR
This award celebrates the hard work of our amazing student interns and the impact they make on student life at Middlesex – organising events, leading campaigns, gathering student feedback, and providing opportunities for students to meet new people or learn new things.
The shortlist was…
Adel Juhasova
Anjelina Qureshi
Kieran Galvin
Koah Joseph
Morgan PeacockThe winner is….
Morgan Peacock
Morgan always proactively seeks new tasks to improve the delivery of the Advice service and improve her professional skills. She is always quick to offer help if anyone needs it and is an amazing team player. Her professionalism, confidence and attention to detail are hugely impressive, and she has been valuable to MDXSU this year.
Highly commended is…
Anjelina Qureshi
Anjelina approaches every single task with enthusiasm, and has such a passion for her work, and for supporting our student groups. Anjelina was praised for the incredible work she does behind the scenes to ensure student groups can run effectively and for her ability to learn and adapt quickly.
MDXSU STAFF MEMBER OF THE YEAR
This award celebrates the tremendous hard work of our full-time staff at the Students' Union, and particularly someone who has gone beyond their role to contribute to work across the organisation.
The shortlist was…
Bel Bale
Jenna Chapman
Reygan Davison The winner is….
Jenna Chapman
Jenna will always go out of her way to help others and is hugely passionate and knowledgeable. She has had a pivotal role in leading on the training and development work of the Union, and supports our student officers, and particularly Tahmina, incredibly.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP AWARD
New for 2020, this award recognises an individual, group or organisation within the local community who has worked in partnership with MDXSU over the past year, helping us to support student-led events and activities, or providing opportunities and services for students.
The winners are….
Youth Realities
Youth Realities work in collaboration with MDXSU as one of our wonderful Community Placement Partners. Their youth-led work to address teenage relationship abuse is inspiring, and they prioritise creativity and compassion to increase young people’s happiness, healthiness and resilience. Talia and Shannice of Youth Realities have been proactive in creating engaging and interesting job descriptions, offering flexibility with interviews and working hours and have been encouraging and supportive of our students and their skills and abilities. Providing thorough and glowing references for students has been really useful for their future employment, and YR have ensured that we are put into contact with other great charities in the area, promoting further collaboration.
And….
The Claddagh Ring
The Claddagh Ring have consistently worked in partnership with MDXSU to support students and have played a key role in supporting events that have been put on by the Students’ Union and by our student groups. Finbar and Nuala, two members of staff at the Claddagh, regularly meet with the SU to discuss events and collaboration for our students. They go out their way to support and encourage us, from offering to provide the prizes and snacks for the weekly pub quizzes, to providing spaces free of charge for our student groups to put on their own events.
Congratulations to all those who were shortlisted or won an award this year, and thank you to all students and staff that submitted nominations.
If you would like to get involved in some of the opportunities students won awards for this year, have a browse of www.mdxsu.com or contact us at mdxsu@mdx.ac.uk
