Two former students of North West Regional College (NWRC) are to receive honorary awards at the college’s Higher Education and Access Graduation ceremony on Wednesday.

Elaine McLaughlin and Ross Parkhill will be among the hundreds of students to be acknowledged as Graduates from the College’s Class of 2024 at the graduation ceremony in the Millennium Forum, on October 30.

Elaine Mclaughlin from Derry~Londonderry will receive an honorary award for Contribution to Healthcare and Mentoring of Students. Elaine is a Senior Podiatrist and founder of Carlisle Road Foot Clinic. The local woman who graduated from the Durham School of Podiatric Medicine with a BSc in Podiatry with distinction has been in business for more than 30 years. Elaine studied at NWRC in the early 1990s and has spent the past three decades mentoring healthcare students who want to enter the podiatry profession. She currently employs eight podiatrists, two beauticians, and five reception staff, many of whom are former students of NWRC, and she is mentoring three podiatric students. Elaine is a huge supporter of Further Education and says NWRC has been instrumental in shaping the careers of health care professionals locally. Her daughter Emma is also a podiatrist and former student of NWRC.  Elaine is mum to Emma and Aaron, and this year became a grandmother for the first time.

Ross Parkhill from Limavady will be acknowledged for his Contribution to the Arts and Community Development. Ross is the Festival Director and Founder of the Stendhal Festival – Ireland’s largest independent summer camping festival. Since 2011 Limavady has played host to this independent event which has seen its attendance numbers grow from 700 patrons in its inaugural year to the large-scale event it is today, which will see total attendance over its lifespan attract 100,000 people. A former Accounts student of NWRC, Ross is a passionate supporter of the arts. Not only has the Stendhal festival brought fantastic exposure to the Limavady, it has provided local artists with the opportunity to perform at a large-scale event giving them greater exposure to music-loving audiences. As well as the main festival in August, Stendhal also annually runs a children’s festival and community arts projects. Ross is dad to Henry who is 9.

Graduates of Art & Design, Business, Computing, Construction, Engineering and Science, Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy, Early Years, Health & Social Care, Hospitality, Tourism, Sport, Media, Music, and Performing Arts will gather at the Millennium Forum with friends and family to mark the successful completion of courses undertaken at the College’s Strand Road, Limavady and Strabane Campuses.

Many students will also receive special awards for achievements including academic excellence, commitment and creativity.

The college’s graduation ceremony will be streamed live on NWRC’s YouTube channel and will take place at the Millennium Forum on October 30 at noon.  The host for the event is BBC presenter Barra Best.