How students make a difference

Meet the award winners helping improve the lives of others.

Through its annual Student Awards, Edinburgh University Students’ Association celebrates the passionate members of our community who go above and beyond.

Awards honour the outstanding achievements, hard work, dedication, and leadership shown by our student body. They celebrate the passionate individuals and groups who dedicate their time to a cause, stand up for others, foster supportive student communities, overcome personal challenges, and much more.

No achievement is too big or too small to be celebrated. It’s sometimes the smallest acts of inclusion, creativity, and determination that make the biggest difference to others. In this series of profiles, we find out more about some of the individual winners and explore the extraordinary impact for which they have been recognised.

Our people

Building family in the student community

Nick BarnesSep 3, 20245 min read

More than 400 student-led societies and volunteering groups aim to help build a sense of belonging in the University experience. How did one motivated student leader level up that ambition, even reaching out beyond the campus?

Our people

A community to champion activism

Nick BarnesJul 30, 20245 min read

Syjil Ramjuthan uses her activism to provoke positive change. She’s committed to using the power of the student voice to improve the University environment now and for the future.

Our people

A build-up of little acts, giving back to others

Nick BarnesJun 4, 20247 min read

More than 2,000 Edinburgh care home residents receive cards at Christmas from Julie Ann Fooshee’s community wellbeing project. Her aspirations, to reach out to the city’s isolated and vulnerable individuals, go further.

Our people

A chain of students paying back to society

Nick BarnesJun 4, 20245 min read

Jay Choudhari founded Dhyeya in India’s rural Chandrapur. This non-profit organisation is tackling education inequality, helping children from marginalised sections of society aspire to and access education.

Our people

Prioritising community and transparency

Nick BarnesJun 4, 20247 min read

Nadine Barakat represents a community of postgraduate research students. Her efforts have been instrumental in bringing the students together, acting on their feedback and instigating change.

^{Image credit: Students: am Ingram-Sills/Whitedog Photography, banner Kseniya Ovchinnikova/Getty images}