Donna Fitzpatrick

Inverness College UHI has crowned Donna Fitzpatrick Student of the Year 2012.

Donna (43) started evening classes in computing four years ago at the college and will be one of the first cohorts of students graduating this year with a BSc in computing. Raising six children has not stopped her commitment and enthusiasm to not only work thorough her studies but support her peers, advocate the college and course and organise extra-curricular activities to support young people to make them aware of their options in education.

Recently Donna has presented her latest project to NHS Grampian. It is a mobile phone App which tackles acute back pain by allowing suffers to record their pain in words on the app each time it occurs. The NHS is keen to explore the project further.

Nominated by lecturers at the college, Donna was selected due to her passion for her studies, her love of computing, her advocacy for Inverness College UHI and the wide range of extra-curricular work she undertakes. As part of her student ambassador role Donna has worked closely with ASPIRENorth, an organisation which encourages secondary school pupils to make positive and informed decisions about their post-school educational choices.

Speaking of her award, Donna said: “I am absolutely thrilled to pieces to have won Student of the Year. I never expected this could happen to me. I do love my course and cannot rate the college and my lecturers highly enough. I have been so lucky to receive such a wonderful education there and my prospects for future employment are looking really promising.”