Quantity Surveying Alumna wins top industry award

A Quantity Surveying alumna has been awarded the Most Promising Trainee Quantity Surveyor award at the CECA Southern Young Achiever Awards 2021.

Alice Stewardson has worked at Danaher & Walsh for over five years alongside her studies.

The Young Achiever Awards are organised by the Southern Region of the Civil Engineering Contractors' Association, and recognise outstanding achievement amongst younger members of the civil engineering industry.

Alice was presented with the Most Promising Trainee Quantity Surveyor award by Olympic gold medallist Amy Williams MBE.

Alice joined Danaher & Walsh in 2016 as a trainee, and has recently been promoted to Assistant QS. She recently completed the final year of her BSc Quantity Surveying degree course, where she has achieved consistently high marks and been commended for her extra-curricular work.

Her supervisor, Professor David J. Edwards, said: “Alice is without doubt, the most proficient, dedicated and conscientious student I have ever taught internationally.

"She is an exemplary example for any apprentice who wishes to pursue a higher education degree in a construction or civil engineering management degree. She inspires all around her.” 

Alice has also mentored and coached other students on her undergraduate course, offering advice and guidance on how to develop robust methodological approaches for the final year dissertation. 

This generosity and willingness to help others was acknowledged by both academic staff and students, who nominated her for Supportive Student of the Year 2021, acknowledging her positive, supportive and encouraging attitude towards others. 

Mark Shelbourn, Head of Department of Built Environment and Associate Professor at Birmingham City University, said: “"Staff within the Department of the Built Environment are incredibly proud of Alice and her achievement to win this highly prestigious national prize from the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA), the UK's leading professional body for industry practitioners.

“Alice exemplifies the opportunities for young graduates and apprentices to study at BCU, rise to the pinnacle of their capabilities but also perform to the highest standards in industry and be recognised for that body of outstanding work. We wish Alice every success with what we predict to be a glittering industry career and we hope to see her back at BCU sometime soon to give a guest lecture to future cohorts of QS students."  

Alongside her core work activities, Alice actively promotes positive mental health and wellbeing. As a trained Mental Health First Aider, Alice acts as a confidential first point of contact for colleagues at Danaher & Walsh experiencing mental health concerns.

Dr Saeed Talebi, Senior Lecturer in Quantity Surveying and Course Leader for BSc Quantity Surveying, said: "I have a very high regard for Alice and I have seen her to be a self-motivated and an extremely resourceful individual. Access to talented people like Alice is challenging for companies and Alice is one of several Quantity Surveying graduates who has gone above and beyond in her studies and profession."

Speaking about the award win, Danaher & Walsh's Commercial Director Ian Gilbert, said: "Congratulations to Alice for winning this very well deserved award. Alice's dedication to her work and studies is second-to-none. She is very generous with her time and always willing to help others. She is understandably a very popular member of the team." 

Alice will graduate from BCU later this month.