Land and Property Management students celebrate success at Graduation Day Awards

Exceptional achievements by Harper Adams graduates have been celebrated by the University’s Land and Property Management team at their annual Graduation awards event.

The event was held by the team for those students awarded awards and prizes for their successes throughout the academic year.

Amongst the awards made at the event was the Harper Adams University Land & Property Management Award for the top graduating student which this year was awarded jointly to Tom Saunders and Kate Oakes. 

Tom also took the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers prize and the Irish Bowl.

He said: “I only set out to do well in my degree, I never thought about prizes whilst I was doing it, so they are the icing on the cake. I was particularly thrilled to receive the Irish Bowl, as I have always tried to involve myself in the University community and help or represent the University where I can, so I was delighted to be recognised for this.”

Tom – who also served as an NFU Ambassador during his studies at Harper Adams - added: “Graduating was great feeling! It had been a long time coming after spending two years as a degree apprentice and then two years as a student. It seemed like a long four years at the time, but looking back it has gone in a flash.

“Studying at Harper Adams is a great experience - work hard, but also enjoy yourself.

“Harper Adams is a unique University, because it has a great community spirit and lecturers learn your names and who you are. This is certainly not the case at every University!”

The Gethin Webb Award, which is awarded to the final year REALM student who had made the learning experience more enjoyable for other students throughout their time at Harper Adams, was awarded to Matilda Heron. 

The corresponding award for the Rural Property Management course was awarded to Deaglan Hunter-Blair. 

Both of these awards were determined by a student vote and so represented something very special for the recipients. 

Senior Lecturer Andrew Black, who organised the awards, said: “We were very happy to be able celebrate the success of our students at the event which also gave parents and family members the opportunity to share in this success.

We would like to thank those organisations sponsoring some of the awards and we look forward to another special year ahead.”

Graduation day also say the graduation of the first cohort of Rural Practice Chartered Surveyor Degree Apprentices. 

This group of students had been studying a Rural Enterprise and Land Management Degree part-time over five years whilst working in professional practice. 

A collaborative Degree Apprenticeship programme at Harper Adams is marking two milestones this month, including seeing their first cohort, who started five years ago, graduate at this year's graduation ceremony ??

Read more here: https://t.co/bhvfPd7man

— Harper Adams University (@HarperAdamsUni) September 28, 2023

Course Leader Dr Mark Simcock said: “This was a very special moment for this group of students as well as for the University.  We are very proud that the whole group who started on this programme in 2018 all graduated together.

“They will hopefully all go on now to complete their apprenticeship by undertaking their RICS Assessment of Professional Competence and will be very employable graduates."

The University held a small celebration event for this group of students, which included their families and some of their employers.

_{If you’re interested in studying Land and Property Management, Harper Adams runs a series of Experience Days where you can find out more – and have fun at the same time!}

_{To book your place on the November 1 event, click here.}