Photography Student Farah Captured as SERC Celebrate Class of 2019

Higher Education students from SERC will join with family and friends to celebrate their efforts and academic achievements at the annual graduation ceremony at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall today, Friday 6 September 2019. 

The ceremony will honour over seven hundred, (700) full-time and part-time students along with 10 local businesses, and will feature addresses from Pearce McFall (Newtownabbey) who graduates with an HND in Performing Arts who will give the Student Vote of Thanks, and guest speaker Monica McCard, Marine Biologist and alumna of SERC’s highly successful Access to University programme.

Student, Farah Pourgholi (Bangor, pictured above) who graduates with an HNC in Art and Design (Photography) is a part of a growing number of students choosing STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) courses at higher level.   She said, “I really enjoyed my time at SERC.  The lecturers were fantastic, bringing theory to life with their experience from industry, which encouraged me on my chosen career path and further studies at university.”

Ken Webb, Principal and Chief Executive of SERC, said, “Graduation marks an important day in the lives of the hundreds of Higher Education students who have completed their courses and I would encourage them to never stop learning and striving to better themselves.

He added, “Over 70% of our Higher Education students are achieving Distinction profiles in their HE programmes which means that our students are in the best possible position to progress to those highly competitive places in nursing, engineering and bio medical programmes at university. 

He concluded, “As well as having qualifications, students need to have much more in terms of skills and experience.   This includes soft skills, such as communication, presentation and organisational skills which allow students to excel in studies, work and life.  At SERC we place important value on project-based learning which gives students opportunities to work together on real life scenarios, solving problems and developing entrepreneurial skills as soon as they walk through the door.”  

Twelve outstanding students are also set to receive excellence awards, designed to honour and reward those students whose commitment to learning and training has set them apart from their peer’s.  The College’s prestigious Ishihara Award goes to graduates Jonathan McGregor (Dromara), Ulster University Foundation Degree in Mechatronic Engineering and Joseph Totton (Bangor), HND in General Engineering.