Some of Middlesex University's top students are celebrating after being awarded with scholarships marking their academic or sporting potential.

Scholarships provide financial support to students who have gained top grades, shown great academic promise or have sporting talents that can be nurtured. Funds come from the University or through the generosity of partner organisations and alumni who want to help the next generation of Middlesex students.

Santander scholarship recipient Violet Broadhead, a first year Fashion Design student from Newcastle, attended the special ceremony held on 22 November. She said: "The pace of my course has been very fast which means I’ve learnt loads already. It’s been a really big but very satisfying learning curve so far. The scholarship is so welcome as it gives me the opportunity to look for an internship to help with my career advancement rather than having to find a part-time job. I’d love to get experience in an ethically aware fashion company, it’s a growing area and I’d love to contribute to making fashion more sustainable."

Champion Lithuanian table tennis player and International Tourism Management and Marketing student Kristina Vaskeviciute was presented with a Ede and Ravenscroft scholarship. She said: "I want to put the scholarship money towards new table tennis equipment which will help me to compete in the European championships later in the year. The award will help support me to play the sport I love alongside my studies."

Another potential sports star receiving an award was talented 1500m runner Gemma Kersey, whose scholarship was provided by the Luck Hille Foundation. Gemma is studying fashion but is also focussed on her sporting dream of making the Commonwealth Games in two years and the Rio Olympics. She said: "Juggling work, training and getting a degree is very hard but with this support it will enable me to compete at a high level in my sport and to get a good degree. The scholarship will also give me the opportunity to go warm weather training or to train at altitude."

Finchley resident Jon De Groot received a Santander Scholarship. He said: “I want to make a positive impact in the lives of children. My aspiration is to become a high school teacher and after graduating I plan to take a PGCE in Teacher Training. The scholarship will give me a measure of financial independence and alleviate some financial strains and allow me to focus on study.”

Donors come from a wide range of business sectors and include The Luck Hille Foundation, Santander, The LEO Foundation and AIT Trust, BPR architects, Conygar Investments, the Textile Alliance Group, Ede and Ravenscroft, the MBA alumni association and Viridian.

Middlesex Deputy Vice Chancellor Melvyn Keen hosted the event and told guests: "Making sure every single one of our students achieves their potential is absolutely vital to us, whether that’s academic potential and sporting talent or ensuring that students make their mark in business or the community.

“At Middlesex we are lucky to have generous and committed partners, friends and alumni who share our view that helping the next generation of students to succeed brings great rewards."

The ceremony took place at the University's Hendon Campus on 22 November. Pictured are students receiving scholarships from BPR Architects.

Middlesex provides a range of financial advice and support to students. Click here for information.