‘Outstanding’ graduates recognised with awards

Three students have received special awards in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the University, local community and the world around them.

Lawrence Green, Oliver Newth and Bianca Nobilo received an iPad and a University Pin as part of the Outstanding Student Contribution Awards (OSCAs), which ran for the first time this year.

The trio received their awards from Registrar and member of the awarding panel Ken Sloan during their degree ceremonies in July.

Sloan said, “This is the first time we have run a University-level award of this type and have been delighted by the response.”

“The OSCAs are…aimed at recognising significant student contributions to the University community,” said Dr Laura Meadows, Assistant Registrar at the University. “Any member of the University (staff and students) could nominate a student for an award [but the nominee] must be in the final year of their degree programmes.”

22 nominations were received in total, and Sloan said it was a very difficult decision to pick the final three because all were “extraordinary”.

Vice Chancellor Nigel Thrift and President of the Students’ Union Leo Boe were also on the awarding panel.

Bianca Nobilo, who graduated with a First Class History degree, was nominated for setting up a new charity, the Student Heart Health Trust.

“I started the charity because several people close to me were tragically struck by heart conditions,” Nobilo told the _Boar_. “The only useful thing I felt I could do was to promote heart screenings to detect the cardiac abnormalities which cause premature and avoidable death.”

After raising over £7000, Nobilo recently provided the opportunity for 200 Warwick students to receive a free ECG heart screening.

Lawrence Green was nominated for exceptional work on student-run support service Nightline, dedicating over 600 hours directly to the service.

Volunteer numbers also increased by 40 percent when Green was Student Coordinating Officer.

Oliver Newth was nominated for “entrepreneurial flair and dedicated volunteering”. Newth created an app designed to improve access to module resources at Universities.

Newth also taught Maths in schools across Africa as part of the Warwick in Africa scheme. During his time there, he set up additional lessons for the children and used a wide range of games, activities and teaching strategies to engage and enthuse his pupils.

“What touched me the most is that someone in Warwick Press Office took the time to send in a nomination for me,” added Nobilo. “I’m grateful to be part of the award in its first year and my favourite part has been meeting Oliver and Lawrence…and hearing about the incredible work they do. Being awarded alongside them is fantastic.”