20th June 2019
Barking & Dagenham College were awarded at the College’s annual Excellence Awards and were joined by special celebrity guest Andi Osho.
The hugely successful actress and writer was there to watch the awards. Andi studied performing arts at Barking & Dagenham College in the 1990s. She recently featured as a main character in Sky One's popular programme Curfew and also stars in the film Shazam, which is currently in cinemas.
It was her first time back at the college since she left as a teenager.
Two hundred people packed out the College’s conference centre to award the top students.
Award winners included Performing Arts Student of the Year Set Myint 17, from Romford and runner up to the same award Koby Turner, 17, from Barking who were thrilled to receive their awards from Andi Osho.
Prior to the award ceremony, the performing arts students also got the opportunity to take part in a Q&A session with Andi; Set said: “It was a Pleasure to meet Andi Osho and to gain a lot of insight into the industry from someone who has experienced so much from her journey. It was really interesting to hear her talk about acting and how she had to overcome her own insecurities to really strive as the performer she is now. I was so thrilled to be named as the Performing Arts Student of the Year and to receive the award from Andi made it even more special.”
Koby commented: "It was a great opportunity to be able to ask Andi questions and to hear from someone who is successful in the industry. I feel really lucky to be given this chance to meet her and that she actually studied here at my college, Barking & Dagenham College, to see how far she has come is inspiring.”
Jamal Abdrhman 17, from Redbridge was named overall Student of the Year for his hard work and determination and the excellent progress he has made in his English for speakers of other languages course.
His proud tutors said: “Jamal is a student who has grown wings this year. He is currently volunteering and fundraising for the Red Cross. At college, because of serious hard work and determination, he has passed all the exams with high grades. He is very polite young man, with a big smile on his face. He possesses a unique character; a very respectful young man with a lot of values. He is determined to follow his dreams. He will push his limits and will reach the sky. Sky has no limits, nor has he.”
Andi closed the awards with a short speech on the topic on ‘myths’ commenting afterwards: “I was blown away [by the students’ achievements]!”
On a tour around the College, Andi came across a picture of herself on the College’s Hall of Fame, and when questioned as to whether she had expected to see herself up amongst the College’s most famous alumni when she left college in the 1990s, she said “I did not. I didn’t leave college feeling that being an actor or performing was in any way a possibility for me and I originally went into programme making. To see that picture, I was taken aback, I just felt so proud to see my face on the wall with a bunch of other people who have studied at Barking & Dagenham College and gone on to achieve in their fields.”
