Leeds City College

Leeds City College student, Juwairia Junaid, is celebrating picking up her second award of the year.

The aspiring therapist was named Learner of the Year at the 2022 FAB (Federation of Awarding Bodies) Awards in October.

Juwairia was presented with the accolade, which she’d been nominated for by educational charity and awarding body NCFE, at Leicester’s Marriott Hotel. It is the second time that she has been declared Learner of the Year in 2022, after picking up the same title in the NCFE Aspiration Awards in June.

Juwairia, who was born blind, is studying Level 3 Preparing to Work in Health and Social Care and has been hailed as an ‘exceptional learner’. Upon being nominated for the FAB award, she said that it proved people with a disability ‘are capable of doing anything that non-disabled people can do’.

Recognition for an inspirational learner

Programme Manager Tracy Jardine, meanwhile, described the nomination as further well-deserved recognition for Juwairia’s ‘inspirational approach’ to learning.

Juwairia was accompanied to the awards ceremony in Leicester by her mother, Aneera, who was delighted to see her daughter celebrate ‘another big win’.

In a message of thanks to Tracy and the college afterwards, Aneera said: “Thank you so much for all your support and for making this happen.”

Juwairia needs to use a lot of extra technology to pursue her studies, and is accompanied around campus by a learning assistant. Despite those additional challenges, she has excelled in her courses and also made time to take on extracurricular activities – including co-presenting a local radio show, The Disabled Table.

Juwairia could end 2022 with three awards under her belt, as she has also been nominated for the Association of Colleges’ (AoC) Student of the Year award.

The finalists will be confirmed on Thursday 10 November, with the winners due to be announced at the AoC Conference dinner in Birmingham on 15 November.