HSDC was incredibly proud to recently celebrate the achievements of its students at the 2026 Havant and South Downs Awards, an annual event that celebrates and recognises the outstanding success, dedication and contribution of the truly exceptional students from the College community.
Students from across the Havant and South Downs campuses were invited to attend a special awards ceremony, where they were recognised for their accomplishments in a wide range of academic, technical and vocational subject areas. Award recipients were presented with certificates in recognition of their hard work, perseverance and commitment throughout their studies.
Opening the event, Kurt Hintz, Interim Principal and CEO, said:
“Every single student here should be incredibly proud of themselves! It’s no accident that you’re here today, it’s the result of months of hard work and determination, and you deserve to be recognised for your achievements.”
Throughout the ceremony, students were invited to collect their awards from across a variety of curriculum areas alongside personalised citations from their lecturers, highlighting the positive impact they have made during their time at HSDC.
Fin Hughes won the HSDC Award for Performance Arts & Music due to his professionalism, energy and positive attitude to his studies, as well as his fantastic performances in the recent South Downs productions of The Little Mermaid and Heathers. Speaking about his time at HSDC, Fin said:
“As soon as I walked into the South Downs theatre for the first time, I just knew this was the place for me. Making friends and meeting new people was great, and it was fantastic to be able to sing and act in the performances this year.”
Megan Payne won the HSDC Award for Humanities & Performing Arts, and was highly praised by her teacher in her citation, which read:
“For the past two years, Megan has been one of the most engaged and interested learners of the entire cohort! Her work has even been used as peer assessment for other learners, and she has produced essay plans for her fellow students too. She is an example of what an A Level learner should be – enthusiastic, committed, determined, engaged and supportive of others!”
The awards weren’t just for courses, with several major honours being awarded for students who had excelled in other areas of life at HSDC.
Yasmeen Amer won the HSDC Award for Contribution to Student Union and College Life as a result of her tireless efforts to enrich the experience of students across the College. From setting up a Volleyball club at Havant to gaining national recognition as an AoC Sports Ambassador, Yasmeen has gone above and beyond as a true representative of the best HSDC has to offer.
When asked why she chose to study at HSDC, Yasmeen said:
“The massive variety of courses on offer at Havant was really appealing to me, as well as all the sports clubs they have here. My whole experience at College was amazing, I had loads of opportunities to practice my sports and pursue my passions.”
The final award of the evening was the very prestigious overall HSDC Student of the Year Award. This year, the recipient was Lucy Ford, a student on the Sport Development Coaching and Fitness Extended Diploma at South Downs, due to her outstanding perseverance, exceptional attitude to learning and exemplary attendance. Lucy said:
“I loved the vibe at South Downs! It was great to actually go out to schools and coach the kids first hand, as this was great practice and experience for me to fulfil my dream of becoming a PE teacher.”
Everyone at HSDC would like to congratulate all of the winners for their fantastic achievements, and wish them all the best for the future.
-ENDS-
