When Katie Bates was awarded the top prize at an awards ceremony this evening, she was greeted with silence.
The 25-year-old Brighton woman was named the City Achiever of the Year at the annual City College Brighton and Hove awards night.
As she stepped up to collect her prize, the hall full of staff, fellow students, parents and supporters waved their hands to sign applause in a highly visible way.
Miss Bates, a former pupil at Hamilton Lodge Deaf School, in Brighton, had already picked up the award for Learning Support City Achiever and had been greeted by silent applause.
Staff spoke of how she refused to allow her deafness to be a barrier, had integrated confidently and would help anyone.
They said: “Katie’s progression at the college has been remarkable, having started on a foundation learning course and progressed through the levels to Level 3 in painting and decorating.
“She is profoundly deaf but this has not hindered her from consistently producing excellent work in theory and practicals.
“She has also adjusted from being in a totally British Sign Language environment at Hamilton Lodge School to successfully and confidently integrating into a hearing environment at the college.”
City College’s senior communication support worker Bella Austen said: “I feel that Katie is a worthy winner of this award because she’s a very strong young woman who has overcome tough obstacles while always putting herself out to help her peers.
“It is her constant striving and dedication to increase her skill level that is one of the many impressive things about her.
“She has a ‘can do’ attitude, is a joy to work with and a role model to all teens who are facing challenges.”
She was one of 40 students to collect City Achiever awards from more than 7,000 students at the college.
The event this evening (Wednesday 1 July) was hosted by Guy Lloyd, from the Brighton radio station Juice 107.2FM.
He said: “When you come up to get your award, really milk it. I went to college and won nothing!”
Interim principal Monica Box told students: “I’m 65. I’ve been working in education since I started teaching at a comprehensive school in 1972.
“I’m a dying breed. In future very few people will spend their whole working life in one career.”
