CAPTION 1: Winning IT student Joshua Holmes is flanked by award sponsor Anthony Jephcott from Telstra and his IT faculty director Lester Searle.
CAPTION 2: Port Macquarie TAFE’s Emily Lawson was the campus’s top student due to her achievements studying the Certificate IV in Tertiary Preparation.
THREE high achievers from Port Macquarie took out top awards at this year’s North Coast TAFE student achievement awards.
The awards recognised the 2012 efforts of top-performing students from across North Coast TAFE’s 17 campuses, incorporating around 45,000 students.
Emily Lawson, who completed her Certificate IV in Tertiary Preparation at Port Macquarie Campus and is now studying a music degree at the University of Newcastle, won the Employment and Education Skills Award.
Faculty director Lindy Kemp said that Ms Lawson impressed the judges because she maintained a wonderful career focus, despite some challenging obstacles in health and in life in general.
“We were also struck by the sophisticated level of her advocacy for TAFE and higher education pathways,” Ms Kemp said.
Ms Lawson was in the news earlier this year because her result placed her in the top 50 students in the state for her course.
Joshua Holmes, who completed his Certificate IV in Information Technology last year, won the Information Technology Faculty Achievement Award and is now studying two related degrees at Griffith University.
Faculty director Lester Searle said that Mr Holmes’ approach was “whole-hearted” and “inspiring”.
“It was not just because of the exceptional standard of his study and work, but because he committed significant time to community and other outside interests,” Mr Searle said.
“The fact that he has enrolled in a double degree this year clearly shows his level of commitment.”
Damien Mani, an engineering apprentice from Port Macquarie who completed both his Certificate III and Certificate IV in Engineering in 2012 at Taree, won the Manufacturing and Engineering Faculty Achievement Award.
His faculty director Julia Board praised Mr Mani’s “deep thirst for knowledge and learning”, noting that he had completed several other short courses, modules or qualifications during the year.
Mr Mani works in a supervisor position at the Port Macquarie manufacturing firm Thompson Brushes.
