Three Warwick students in finals for Undergraduate of the Year awards

Three Warwick students made the finals for this year’s Targetjobs Undergraduate of the Year Awards: Katerina Leckie was finalised for the Future Business Leader of the year while Jessica Dale and Terrie Cliffe were finalised for Management undergraduate of the year award.

The Targetjobs awards are set up to identify and celebrate the UK’s best undergraduates in specific areas such as subject of degree, future leaders and commercial excellence. Those eligible for the award were expected to have a combination of academic excellence, the ability to pass a series of online assessments, and the interpersonal skills necessary to compete with other students.

Stephen Ward, head of external relations, student careers and skills, stated: “We are delighted to see Warwick students featuring in the Undergraduate of the Year shortlists. We place a lot of emphasis on our relationships with employers, and we work to connect students with employers in ways that fit with their commitments”.

Jessica Dale, first-year Business undergraduate is an active leader of the Guiding and Scouting society and is also part of the Management society.

Jessica was surprised to have succeeded with the award: “When I got the phone call for being in the top 10, I cried! I felt gobsmacked and also proud and touched to have been thought of so highly.

“There are four types of people in the world; those who fail to see opportunities, those who see them but do not take them, those who take the opportunities they see and finally those who make opportunities for others. It is up to you, which of those four people you become.”

Katerina Leckie, third-year Politics and International Studies undergraduate, has worked with the Tab as debate editor and marketing manager. She has also helped organise an undergraduate dissertation workshop for students in the Politics and International Studies department.

Katerina said: “I was so happy to be one of the nine finalists but very shocked at the same time! I never thought when I was first filling out the application that I would get to that stage.

“The whole application was a great experience, I got to meet so many great people along the way, and finding out more about Mars as a company was very interesting”.

Terri Cliffe, second-year International Business undergraduate, is fitness coach and treasurer of the cheerleading team. She recently helped raise over £2,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support by running the Major Series 10 kilometres.

In addition, Terri was a youth leader coaching disabled children football and recently set up her own milkshake business.

Terri said: “I was really surprised that I got through to the finals, firstly because of the calibre of the other candidates that were at the assessment centre and secondly because it was a tough day!

“I really enjoyed the finals at the East Wintergardens, getting to know all the other finalists was really good fun and meeting Sir Trevor McDonald was a highlight. The enterprise employees made you feel like you were part of the team”.