FINAL preparations are being made for this year's Celebration of Achievement Awards which pay tribute to students from Lowestoft College. The awards, in their ninth year, will put 20 students in the spotlight for a range of reasons, including their academic achievements, commitment to improving their qualifications or for overcoming challenges they face in their everyday life.

FINAL preparations are being made for this year's Celebration of Achievement Awards which pay tribute to students from Lowestoft College.

The awards, in their ninth year, will put 20 students in the spotlight for a range of reasons, including their academic achievements, commitment to improving their qualifications or for overcoming challenges they face in their everyday life.

Each year, tutors nominate students for the awards, and principal Gwen Parsons had the difficult task of whittling them down from 58 to just 20.

The finalists, together with their friends, family, tutors and local

VIPs, have been invited to attend the glittering award ceremony at the Hotel Victoria on Wednesday,

June 16.

Each finalist will receive a certificate and prize to mark their achievements and will also wait to hear whether they will claim the title of Lowestoft Journal Student of the Year, an award sponsored by the paper.

Editor Max Bennett and acting principal Teresa Miller have chosen the overall winner, but the student's identity will be a closely guarded secret until the evening.

Two additional awards will be handed out on the evening. The President's Award, sponsored by the Lowestoft and Waveney Chamber of Commerce, is presented to a student who has shown entrepreneurial promise, and the Alumnus Award, goes to a former student who has forged a successful career in their chosen field.

Teresa Miller said: 'Each year, we uncover some really inspirational stories and this year is no exception. The standard for the nominations was really high and we had a difficult task in deciding on the shortlist and picking the Student of the Year. Everyone who has been nominated for the awards should be proud because their tutors have seen something special in them.'

This year's guest speaker will be college principal Gwen Parsons. Teresa Miller said: 'The awards were introduced by Gwen when she first joined the college in 2002 and, as

this is her final year as principal before she retires in August, it is fitting for Gwen to be the guest of honour.'

Finalists in the Lowestoft College Celebration of Achievement

Awards are: Jodie Rafferty, Tommy Rudd, Abigail Scarlett, Jordan Shimmon, Roy McKee, Andrew Middleton, Nathan Patrick, Richanda Poulter, Kate Barnes, Aaron Bloomfield, Stephen Bullock, Michael Driscoll, Wendy Durrant, Peter Garrod, David Green, Shannon Hamilton, Craig Tompkins, Callum Wade, Bethany Weston and David Wilson.