Our Most Deserving Student

29/01/13

“Looking back, I never thought for a second I would win. It has been a wonderful experience because it was about achieving or overcoming something. I owe all my achievement to my family. If my story is positive, inspirational, or one worth winning a car over, then it's all down to my family propping me up.” David Moorhead

Thank you to everyone involved

It was a fantastic end to the Motors Most Deserving Student Awards.

Gathered at the entrance to the Luton campus of the University of Bedfordshire were David Moorhead, his family, and David’s university lecturers. Members of the Motors.co.uk team arrived to present David with the keys to a Renault Twingo worth £5,000; the prize for being named this year’s ‘Most Deserving Student’.

The award was set up as a way of giving recognition and credit to real people in different circumstances, and this time it was all about celebrating the achievements of students across the UK. It has since witnessed close to 200 heart-warming stories of student nominees who have overcome hardship to exceed all expectation when it comes to their studies.

After the arrival of his daughter, David decided it was time to change his life and returned to studying only to be diagnosed with both dyslexia and dyspraxia. Since then he has gone on to obtain a degree in Film Studies and Film and TV Production, a Master’s in Screenwriting, a PGCE and is now studying for a PHD on ‘The Impact of Commercial Ideology and Screenplay Structure on Cinematic Adaptation’ at the University of Bedfordshire.

His story was submitted to Motors by his partner Samantha, who described David as ‘education’s biggest champion’, and in the final stages of the contest our Motors judges were inclined to agree.

David was surprised not only to have been nominated, but to have survived an online public vote which whittled the list of students down to a final three - who were then put to a panel of judges to select their overall most deserving student. The prize giving appeared to be the icing on top of a very large cake for David:

“It was a great day and I'm delighted there where so many people there to share it with me, most importantly my daughter Grace.”

Now an ambassador for the university, David is nothing short of an inspiration to those who may be reluctant to continue on into higher education because they fear their dyslexia or dyspraxia might hold them back.

“To other people suffering from dyslexia or dyspraxia, I would remind them they have a gift, they think differently; they have the potential to shape the world we live in. They need support and for people to recognise their potential. Compulsory education can be cruel to those that are different, but the world can be very rewarding to those same people. Embrace your gift and learn to cope with your disadvantage. There are plenty of us out there, you're not alone.”

David also got to elect a department at the university to receive a £1,000 donation as part of winning the award. Professor Alexis Weedon, Director of Research Institute for Media Art and Design at the University Bedfordshire was delighted to discover that the money will be used to purchase Claros Software to help dyslexic students at both postgraduate and undergraduate level. Alexis explained the difference this money could make.

“As dyslexia and dyspraxia become better researched and are identified earlier, it can really help students to have early support and software which is tailored to their specific needs”.

Read more about Claro Software here.

Keep a look out for Motors’ next ‘Most Deserving Award’, for a chance to nominate someone you feel needs that extra bit of recognition.