University News Last updated 04 August 2011
Birmingham City University student, Jessica Pritchard, was awarded the ‘Birmingham and Solihull’s Aimhigher Associate of the year (pre-16 category)’ for her outstanding contribution to student mentoring.
The 20 year old from Flintshire in North Wales, has just completed the BA Children and Integrated Professional Care degree from Birmingham City University and was first nominated as a University ‘Associate of the Year’. She was then put forward to the regional panel and faced competition from the winners from University of Birmingham, Aston University, Newman University College and University College Birmingham.
This year 42 Associates from Birmingham City University have been working with school and college students from across the region who have been identified as being able to attain good grades, but for some reason are underachieving. The Associates have one-to-one and group meetings on a weekly basis with their learners and are encouraged to empower their students to achieve independently.
The scheme requires commitment from Associates of at least one academic year. The Birmingham City University scheme has been funded for the last five years by Aimhigher and is managed and co-ordinated by the University’s Education Liaison department. Associates are trained undergraduates spending time in a school or college supporting pupils with a view to improving their educational achievement by helping them focus on what they are doing and giving relevance to their studies in school or college. Megan Hubbard, Student Outreach Officer at Birmingham City University, is responsible for managing the Aimhigher Associates scheme.
She said: “When Jessica came to us for her internal Associate of the Year panel she spoke with such enthusiasm and passion that she was a clear winner in our eyes. “My only criticism of Jessica would be that she is far too humble and modest about her own achievements; all of the ‘extras’ she has done for the school have not been seen to her to be a lot of extra effort. “She clearly sets herself high targets and wants only the best for the learners she has encountered.”
Jessica added: “I regard it as an enormous privilege to have represented Birmingham City University at the regional finals and to have been successful in gaining the ‘Associate of the Year’ award. “I thoroughly enjoyed my work as an Associate and I consider the Aimhigher programme to be beneficial to both Learners and Mentors - I will certainly be looking to develop my skills further in this field.”
Due to the cessation of Aimhigher at the end of July 2011, the Aimhigher Associates scheme will be continuing in the academic year 2011-12 under the title of ‘Progression Mentoring’ funded and co-ordinated through the newly-formed Birmingham and Solihull Higher Education Progression Partnership.