- Photo: USI President Michael Kerrigan (L) with Aoife Kerwin (R) winner of the President’s Award at the USI Student Achievement Awards Ireland 2018
Local Kildare woman Aoife Kerwin has scooped the prestigious USI President’s Award at the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) Student Achievement Awards Ireland (SAAI) 2018 in the Radisson Blu, Dublin Thursday (April 19th) recognising her advocacy for people with disabilities.
Aoife Kerwin is a graduate of Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) and University College Dublin (UCD). Aoife was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis but continued to campaign for people with disabilities around Ireland. Aoife is now Information, Advocacy and Research Assistant with Multiple Sclerosis.
USI President Michael Kerrigan said, “I am proud to present Aoife with the President’s Award. Her work has made a huge difference to people’s lives today. The SAAI captures the full breadth of the student experience in these awards, but only captures some of the amazing students who make the overall student experience the best it can be.”
The USI President’s award is awarded annually at the discretion of the USI President to a person or organisation who has offered outstanding support to the student movement in the pursuit of its core objectives. SAAI recognises the achievements of third-level students in Ireland and celebrates the work being done by third-level students for the benefit of their college, community and country.
Other award categories included student campaigns, activism, online and print media, volunteering and community engagement. For those working in college newspapers and student media outlets, the SAAI offers them the chance to be recognised by leaders in the industry. Leading youth website, SpunOut.ie will judge the Welfare Campaign of the Year Award and Amnesty Ireland will judge the Student Leader of the Year Award. Photographer of the Year.
Community volunteering and campaigns to promote student well-being will also be recognised at SAAI 2018. The Wheel will judge Charity Event of the Year and Samaritans Ireland will judge the Mental Health Activism of the Year category.
