TAFE students receive top awards
Friday 1st June 2007
Two TAFE students from Port Macquarie and Wollongbar campuses shared four top awards in this year’s TAFE NSW – North Coast Institute Student Achievement Awards. Horticulture student Philippe Binetruy, from Lennox Head, was announced as Student of the Year on top of his Faculty Achievement Award and Business Trainee Talisa Clay-Smith, from Crescent Head, received both the Trainee of the Year Award and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year.
The Student Achievement Awards were announced at a special Awards dinner held at the Osprey Restaurant, at Coffs Harbour Education Campus on 31 May. The awards recognise outstanding achievements in academic effort, community involvement and career commitment and go to students in individual Institute Faculties and in five other major categories.
Philippe Binetruy, a Diploma of Horticulture student, won the Student of the Year award and the Primary Industries and Natural Resources Faculty Achievement Award for his commitment and enthusiasm for study whilst balancing work and family commitments, according to Institute Director, Elizabeth McGregor. Mr Binetruy studied several courses at the same time in 2006, and focussed on Conservation and Land Management in his Diploma studies. His qualification enabled Mr Binetruy to gain full time work in a Lismore environmental restoration organisation.
Talisa Clay-Smith, a Certificate III in Business Administration student won both the Business Services Faculty Award and the coveted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year because of her “combination of all-round strengths academically, personally and socially and significant levels of determination, commitment to quality and attention to detail,” according to the judges.
Other major award winners included:
- Sam Broomfield, from Corindi Beach, who received the Apprentice of the Year Award for his excellent results in the Certificate III in General Construction (Carpentry) in 2006;
- Daniel Alizadeh, from Goonellabah, who received the TVET Student of the Year for his outstanding academic and all round achievements in studying Accounting at Lismore TAFE Campus whilst in Year 12
