Award-winning alumna celebrates graduation success

Posted 2 October 2023

A talented graduate has celebrated a memorable graduation ceremony at Harper Adams University by adding two more awards to her name.

Kate Oakes, 22, from Penkridge, graduated with first class honours in her BSc (Hons) Rural Enterprise and Land Management degree.

At this year’s graduation ceremony, she shared the award for the joint best graduate in her cohort with fellow student Thomas Saunders, and also won the Michelmores Prize for the best assignment on agricultural tenancies.

Kate has also won prizes for estate management and at the annual Harper Adams Placement Awards, where she took the Buccleuch Prize.

She said: “Having worked very hard, I thought I had done well, but had no idea that I was joint best graduate in my cohort of around 70.

“The hard work has paid off and it was great way to end four years at the university.”

Kate was initially drawn to her course by its mix of theory and practical experience -including the one-year industrial placement year which is a feature of undergraduate degrees at Harper Adams.

She added: “I attended various open days at Harper, and then after attending a Land and Property experience day in October 2018, had my heart set on studying REALM.”

Kate joined the University the following year, and is already applying her studies in the Rural Professional Services team at Halls in Shrewsbury.

She added: “Hopefully, Halls will now also benefit from the awards, as we look to secure new business across the Midlands, whilst also supporting the company’s existing clients. I have hit the ground running since joining the company and I am enjoying the diverse work and am excited to meet more existing and new clients.

“I was attracted to Halls because it’s such a well-respected company in the Midlands and Wales and has a good mixture of rural professional work.”

Halls is one of the UK’s leading independent firms of estate agents, chartered surveyors, auctioneers and valuers, with offices across Shropshire, Worcestershire and Mid Wales.

A keen horse rider, Kate owns a small flock of award-winning Poll Dorset sheep and is secretary of Chase YFC.

Her parents run a 25-acre smallholding where they keep beef calves and specialise in breeding standard bred horses for harness racing. Their brood mare, Teatime Hall, was imported from Canada and has produced four British record holders.

Jon Quinn, Halls’ managing director, said: “Our congratulations go to Kate for her outstanding achievements during her time studying at Harper Adams University.

“It’s imperative that Halls continues to recruit the most talented young people, so that we have the perfect blend of experience and youth to drive the company forwards to take advantage of new business opportunities.”

_{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.}