East Renfrewshire pupils' outstanding achievements celebrated

Published: 28 March 2024

Pupils from all of East Renfrewshire's secondary schools and Isobel Mair School have been honoured for their fantastic achievements at a special awards ceremony.

The Convener's Awards for Outstanding Achievement were held at Clarkston Hall on Wednesday March 27, with 90 young people recognised.

Nominations for individuals or groups to win an award are submitted by school staff and pupils within a wide range of categories, including Sports, Creativity, Personal Achievement, Advocacy, Extra-curricular and Community Service.

Councillor Andrew Anderson, Convener of Education, Equalities, Culture and Leisure, presented all the winners with a certificate and commemorative award.

He said: 'It's always fantastic to celebrate such a wide range of achievements by pupils from across all our schools and this is an event I look forward to each year. In every category, it is clear that the pupils have shown dedication and commitment to their chosen pursuits. All of the winners should be incredibly proud of themselves, they are a credit to not only themselves but their families and their school.'

Mark Ratter, East Renfrewshire Council's Director of Education, added: 'Well done to all of our incredible young people who have been recognised with a Convener's Award for their exceptional achievements. We continue to strive to offer all of our pupils a vast array of opportunities to achieve and I am delighted we have been able to recognise the hard work of this group of pupils who are now well equipped to excel in the next stages of their lives beyond school.'

All the pupils' achievements were outstanding, including aspiring chef Amber Rissman from Mearns Castle High, who was recognised in the Extra Curricular category. Having won the Scottish Springboard Future chef competition, Amber has gone on to train with a range of high-profile chefs. Valuable experience has been gained at the 2 Michelin star Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles, as well as working alongside renowned chef, Gary Townsend, at the prestigious One Devonshire Gardens.

Isobel Mair pupil Jason Gray won his award in the Creativity category for his work in the electronic dance music genre. Jason is the composer, performer and producer of many music tracks and uses the latest technology to lay down the beats. Jason, who has already created an album of tracks, is dedicated to his music and is self-taught, making him an inspiring role model for anyone wishing to pursue a creative dream.

At Barrhead High, William Hughes was recognised for his sporting achievements in both kickboxing and tae kwon do. Managing the demands of a rigorous training schedule, alongside his studies, William is now competing for his country in kickboxing and is ready to take to the global stage in his hunt for glory.

In the Community Service category, Eastwood High pupil Sana Iqbal was praised for her three years of service to the Police Scotland Youth Volunteers (PSYV). Having helped at major events all around Glasgow, Sana has so far amassed an incredible 167 hours of volunteering, which has seen her rise to a Senior Youth Volunteer at the PSYV due to her natural leadership qualities and dedication.

Full details of the winners are listed below:

Advocacy - Jenson Black (Woodfarm High), Adam Fergus, Molly Gill, Erin Kirkland, Adam Smith (Healthier Minds Peer Champions, Eastwood High), Sarah You Li, Asfand Imran, Holly Stevenson, Meleeca Baig, Anie Deeney, Grace Lochrie, Thomas Limpitlaw (St Martin de Porres; Equalities United, St Luke's High)

Community Service - Sana Iqbal (Eastwood High), Matthew Wylie (Isobel Mair School), Sophie Pearce (Mearns Castle High), Maisie Quin (Mearns Castle High), Neve McNab (Mearns Castle High), Ava Hannah (St Ninian's High), Jessica Escosio (St Ninian's High), Mhairi Zing (St Ninian's High), Olivia McLachlan (Woodfarm High), Abbie Beveridge (Woodfarm High).   

Contribution to the school community - Philippa Taggart, Emily Darroch, Krish Bhasin, Meghan Burns (St Ninian's High, Mentors in Violence Prevention)  

Creativity - Elizabeth McGregor, Marysia Figurska, Brooke Pearson, Amy Elrick, Freya McGuire, Sophie Jordan (Barrhead High, Students Enquiry Group); Eilzabeth McGregor, Freya Wilson, Anna Dove, Molly Docherty (Barrhead High Journalism Club); Abigail Fulton (Eastwood High), Jason Gray (Isobel Mair School); Euan Garbut (Mearns Castle); Amaan Waheed (Williamwood High), Leo Storey (Williamwood High), Gia Kim (Woodfarm High), Rhona Langford (Williamwood High), Naomi Whyte (St Ninian's High).

Extra-Curricular - Preston Devon (Eastwood High), Amber Rissman (Mearns Castle), Alex Penman          (Mearns Castle), Mairead McKee, Amna Mahmood, Maia Jenkins, Amelie McDade, Lucy Gibson, Faith Sheridan, Olivia Frykholm, Lara Stefani, Sophie Hamilton, Emily Mirza, Eva Hannah, Khalia Clifford-Alcantar, Eve Hassett (DressCode club, St Ninian's High), Nathan Booker, Rory Wallace, Ewan MacPheat, Isabella Annand, Iona Hunter, Libby Campbell, Abbie Brown, Chloe Sawers, Kaitlyn Irvine (Front of House Team, Williamwood High), Gabriella Pearson (Williamwood High).

Personal Achievement - Hatim Al-Mahi (Eastwood High), Maddison Colquhoun (Eastwood High), Ali Babar (Eastwood High), Jude Arias (St Luke's High)

Pupil nominated - Cacee McKinnon (Barrhead High), Erin Kirkland (Eastwood High), Sam McFarlane (Mearns Castle High), Sarah Yu Li (St Luke's High), Christopher James (St Ninian's High), Emily Johnston (Williamwood High), Matthew Knak (Woodfarm High)

Sports - William Hughes (Barrhead High), Finlay Morton (Mearns Castle High), Rory Donaldson (Mearns Castle High), Craig Shennan (Williamwood High), Louisa Kaven (Williamwood High), Sofia Nielsen (Williamwood High), Sam Harrison (Woodfarm High)

Sports leadership - Derek Brooks (St Luke's High), Stelli Coyne (St Ninian's High)