THE glitz and glamour of the Swindon College Awards sent the highest achieving students off in style on Thursday night.

The top 36 students in their fields were recognised in the ceremony.

Carla Tucker, the communications team leader for Swindon College, said: “This is a real highlight of the year, and is a celebration of the successes of all the students across all the different areas of learning.

“We have a best overall winner in each category, and there are 36 awards in total. Two highly prestigious ones are awarded at the end of the night for the overall winner in each of the categories. “Those awards are a surprise on the night. There are 33 different categories to present during the night. There is also a best student ambassador award.

“Each of the awards are sponsored by companies we work with, who are invited to come along and watch the students being presented with the awards.

“It was a celebration and reward for all the hard work throughout the year, for the community itself and all the parents.

“Lots of these students then go on to achieve very well, either going on to university or pursuing their studies at the college. “There are many who have gone on to very prestigious colleges to build on their success.”

Jonathan Rose, 34, the winner of the Best Overall Forensic Science Student, returned to education after failing to be inspired in the finance sector.

“I was working for a couple of companies and decided what I was doing wasn’t really for me,” he said. “So I decided to make a drastic change.

“There are a few other students who would have deserved it every bit as much as I did. “My next step will be to head off to Reading University in October for forensic sciences, because that was the course I most wanted to do. It has been a very good two years and I have got a great deal out of it.”