A talented student has graduated today with a first-class degree and two awards despite suffering a horrifying snowboarding accident in her second year, which left her hospitalised and in physio for months
Emma Sykes, from Huddersfield, is now an Architectural Design & Technology graduate from the University of Salford. As well as her degree she has been awarded the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists Outstanding Graduating Student prize and the Charted Association of Building Engineers (CABE) best final year student, after impressing staff with her dedication and progress through her time at Salford.
Emma now has her heart set on a career with a big architectural design studio in Manchester or London. But it could have been a much different outcome when she was being stretchered off a mountain in Andorra while on a skiing trip.
Emma said:
“I was part of the snowboarding and ski society. I had an accident while on a society trip in my second year and suffered nerve and muscle damage.”
She had to undergo six months of physio and had to wear a neck brace. But it didn’t stop her getting on with her studies and she finished with an average of 83%.
Emma added:
“I had such a great time at Salford, I would advise anyone to get involved with student life and join societies and also work at your degree and you’ll get the rewards. I love developing 3D designs and turning architects plans into images that really show what a building will look like.”
Dr Colin Richard Stuhlfelder, her lecturer at the University of Salford, said:
“During Emma’s time as a full time student on our programme, she has demonstrated a remarkable exponential trajectory in her performance and understanding of architectural technology, moving from enthusiasm in design and environmental issues, through detailed and technical curiosity, to a graduate who is a more than competent future technologist.
“Emma has also been an excellent Course Representative as well as becoming involved in the reformation of the North West Regional AspirATion group.
“She is a graduate I and the team are proud to send off into the Construction Industry as an ambassador for the University of Salford.”
After a journey that they took together from the very beginning of their academic careers, two star students are graduating alongside each other with a First Class Honours in BSc Wildlife Conservation with Zoo Biology
Three years ago in a college group chat, Alexandra Copeland and Elle Scott sent their first choices to their friends. Unbeknownst to each other, they had picked the exact same course at the University of Salford and thus ensued an academic journey that would lead them to grow as best friends across the UK and the USA to obtain firsts by the end of the course.
The first two years in Salford encompassed topics on the background and construction of zoos, plant and tree species, and behavioural studies to name a few, all of which were taught by ‘amazing’ lecturers as described by the two graduates.
Ellie, said:
“Dr Sean O’Hara, he’s amazing. His passion for primates has made me have an equal passion for them now.”
The influence from lecturers’ passions paved the way for the graduates, where Elle’s third year dissertation focused on primates.
Following this path even further, she is now going to do a Masters at Oxford Brooks University that focuses on primates entirely.
Alexandra’s final dissertation took a more modern approach as she looked at how the World Wildlife Fund uses social media to promote conservation, and to delve into this technology focused angle Professor Andy Miah, Chair of Science Communication and Future Media in the SEE School, helped her steady the reigns, all while designing their own zoos in 3D software as a part of their final year.
The course contains a year abroad in America, which between them was unanimously the main attractions to the course.
Alexandra said:
“I couldn’t find any other degree that did that so Salford for me just had the best of both worlds. It really had everything that I was looking for.”
The integrated placement year abroad saw them spend 9 months in Otterbein, Ohio, where long-lasting international friendships were made.
In America, the pair studied animal behaviours at Columbus Zoo, a close connection to the university out in Ohio, as well the evolution of animals and their bone structures.
The passion from lecturers at Salford was matched in the USA, with Elle recalling:
“In America there was this teacher called Dr. Bushard and you could tell that she was so passionate about what she was teaching. I was in her biology class which I enjoyed, and her questions about it all just made me so passionate about it as well.”
Alexandra added that:
“it was a big change to what we’re used to over here because the way that the education system works is just completely different. The way the classes are run, the way they get assessed on things; it was a lot to get used to in a short time but it was worth it.”
After graduating with two exceptional results, their journeys after university are planned out already. Elle is going on to continue here education with a Masters, and Alexandra plans to travel for a period of time after graduation, a trip that will see her back in America soon to visit friends from their time abroad on the course.
