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Over 100 students and members of Falmouth Marine School staff attended the official School Award Day.

The event, which took place in the lecture theatre at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, celebrated the achievement of students who excelled on their course and showed particular commitment to their studies.

An inspiring opening speech was given by Colin Speedie, Director of WiSe Scheme. Colin has had a long association with Falmouth Marine School and his office has been on the premises for many years. The WiSe scheme has been set up to deliver training and accreditation for operators of registered passenger and charter vessels who wish to view marine wildlife. Nearly 500 operators/marine professionals have now been trained, all of who have attended and passed a course designed to ensure they have an understanding of how to approach marine wildlife, and how to minimise any disturbance to those animals.

Colin talked about the change in the world's interest in the environment and its preservation, since the 1960s. His speech was particularly fitting as the Award Day followed the Falmouth Marine School annual Research Day.

The Research Day is an opportunity for students on the second year of their Foundation Degrees to talk and present their final year projects. Preserving the local marine environment featured heavily in this year's projects.

Colin who has undertaken a great deal of research in local marine life talked of the recent dolphin strandings and how although tragic, it should be viewed in a positive light.

He said: "If this had taken place 40 years ago, it would have been shrugged off. It may have been a small article in a local paper but that would have been all. In 2008 however it was covered by the local, national and the international press, television and radio. A huge number of volunteers got involved in the rescue not to mention the RNLI and the Harbour Master. We live in a time when people from all walks of life are aware of the environment and willing to lend a hand taking care of it."

His example brilliantly showed how far we have come in caring about our environment and the creatures with which we share it.

Colin's talk was followed by the prize giving where exceptional students on all courses received awards and a variety of prizes donated by local businesses. This year's prizes included two sets of vouchers from Axminster for boatbuilding students; Naish backpacks for watersports students and Canoe and Kayak who donated a whole year's subscription to their magazine. Many of the watersports students were unable to attend as most are now abroad on work placements.

The Team Spirit Award this year went the all members of the Cornwall College Student Union Committee at Falmouth Marine School. The team are a variety of ages and come from all course areas at the College. Since they formed they have organised campaigns and parties for the students including the Caribbean party in February, which raised money for the Pirate's Trust.

Awards were also presented to pupils from Penryn College. In a unique partnership between Falmouth Marine School and the local school, pupils attend the college one day a week for classes on the First Diploma in Engineering and in Health & Social Care. The prizes were awarded to: Chantelle Hellier for Most Improved First Diploma in Health & Social Care student, Kane Coggin for Most Outstanding first year Young Engineer and Piran Wright for Most Outstanding second year Young Engineer.

The most important award of the day, the College Council Student of the Year Award went to Rowena Johnson who is just about to complete her Foundation degree in Marine Environmental Management. Rowena has been very busy during her two years at the College as Chairperson of the Cornwall College Student's Union for Falmouth. She is also a student ambassador, which means helping out (and getting paid) at various College events; and the student representative on the College Council. She has also been elected to the Board of Governors.

Rowena received a prize of £100 from Mandy Milano, College Council Member. In September Rowena is off to the University of Plymouth to study a further year on the Environmental Sciences BSc.

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