Selby College student, Kizzy Wade, has been named a finalist in the Association of Colleges’ Student of the Year awards.

The annual awards celebrate students who stand out from the crowd and have gone above and beyond, whether in college or their local community.

Kizzy Wade, who is currently studying Level 3 Media Production at the College, is a finalist in the Young Student of the Year category of the national awards. She was nominated for her commitment to raising awareness on issues such as disability, mental health and challenges people face in society, through her writing.

Kizzy lives with Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy and OCD, which she admits has often made accessing the arts more difficult.

“Writing poetry has given me the time to be self-reflective about how I can move forward with my disability and how I can use my poetry to help others which are in a similar situation. That is why I always aim to address the difficult topics that my generation is facing within my writing, in the hope that it will help to change the attitude and outlook of my readers,” said Kizzy.

As a keen poet, Kizzy hosted her own solo show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and has taken part in a number of poetry books to raise money for charity initiatives such as Guide Dogs and the House of Bread (HOB), an organisation which supports vulnerable and homeless people.

In addition, Kizzy won a TrinityTalent Bronze Arts Award in 2020 for her achievements with spoken word. TrinityTalent celebrates talented young people achieving Trinity’s music, drama and Arts Award qualifications in the UK. She also completed her Arts Award with Collective Encounters, where she focused on writing poetry and delivering poetry workshops.

“At only 16 years old, Kizzy has already achieved so much both in terms of her work and in her personal life. She has used her poetry as a platform to advocate for those who live with a disability, helping them face the challenges that they may experience in life and highlighting stigma. I’m extremely proud of Kizzy for her commitment, passion and determination to help others and for all her achievements,” said Lorraine Fisher, Counsellor and Wellbeing Coordinator at Selby College

Sally Dicketts, President of the Association of Colleges, said: “The Student of the Year Awards rightly shine a light on individuals who have made a significant impact in their college and/or community. The finalists for the young student award have all made outstanding contributions and should be extremely proud of their achievements.”

The finalists were announced at the Association of Colleges’ Annual Conference in Birmingham, which showcases the ways that colleges are transforming the lives of more than two million people across England and how vital colleges are to the future of the British economy in the 21st century. The winners and runners-up will be announced at a parliamentary reception in January.

To find out more about the AoC Awards, please visit: https://www.collegeawards.co.uk/student-of-the-year