XCEL STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2008
What people said about the Xcel Awards ceremony

I’m absolutely delighted to be here. As a city we must celebrate success, we must support success and we must encourage success. And to see it in young people through education often against adverse circumstances really is encouraging
- Deputy Mayor of London, Richard Barnes
I think an event like this where you’re bringing people together, people within industry and students who have worked hard, it gets industries to open up their doors a bit more and encourages young people to work a bit harder – that way we can all go even further
- Alexander Rose

The Xcel Award ceremony that is aimed at students from different ethnic origin will surely inspire students, especially international students.
- Mohamed Zahras Duwahir
I would like to thank the management and staff of Xcel for the hard work they are doing in raising awareness and supporting talent especially in ethnic minority groups and giving us the opportunity to see what the future holds for us.
- Bonaventure Feka Ngode

I really enjoyed the award ceremony, it is my first sort of any award ceremony I have been to. I have always watched them on television, but this time I was sitting at one myself, and it was amazing to hear my name being called up to receive an award. The lights and the music made it all very real. Next stop the Oscars!
- Anna Ngyuen

The whole event was so fantastic and surreal at times, I felt like this was too good to be true. I took my mum and twin brother Chris down with me to receive the award and it was another reminder that I have accomplished great things and I’m doing a great thing with the STOP campaign. Oh yeah, I also kissed Kelly Rowland on the cheek with was great!”
- Alexander Rose
I was very excited to win and think my trophy looks very good. I hope winning the award will help me to get a job after I have finished my postgraduate course.
- Megan Phillips

I appeal to the sponsors to continue assisting the Xcel awards in getting the 21st Century talents to where they deserve to be without, race, culture, boundary or background.
- Bonaventure Feka Ngode
I think its very difficult as it is for a young person in their journey towards their dreams, so an achievement such as the Xcel award really shines a light towards the possibility of these dreams becoming reality!
- Anna Nguyen

The awards ceremony was great, the atmosphere was excellent and it was great to meet such interesting and fascinating people there. I really enjoyed chatting to Simon from TheBigChoice.com who presented me with my award, and hope to be able to work together in the future with him.
- Lee Greatbatch
I hope that by recognising the achievements of hardworking students from diverse and challenging backgrounds, the Xcel Awards will be a source of inspiration for other students, and will motivate them to fulfil their ambitions and stretch their potential to the limit, regardless of their circumstances.
- Musawar Ahmad


