In a heartfelt moment of recognition and pride, staff and students from UHI North, West and Hebrides have been honoured in this year’s Highlands and Islands Students’ Association (HISA) Awards, with winners and highly commended individuals set to be celebrated at graduation ceremonies in Fort William, Stornoway and Thurso later this year.
These awards, which are entirely student-led, shine a light on the everyday dedication, quiet brilliance and extraordinary support that shape the learning journey across the University of the Highlands and Islands partnership, offering students the chance to nominate the people who have helped make their education more meaningful, inclusive and successful.
This year, the North, West and Hebrides campus saw 59 nominations submitted, each one a story of impact and kindness with ten members of staff and eight students receiving a highly commended nod, and one staff member going on to win an overall university-wide category.
That honour belongs to Annemarie Douglas, a Learning Support Officer based in Stornoway, who was announced as the winner of the Best Personal Academic and Learner Support award across the entire UHI network, a powerful recognition of her unwavering care and commitment behind the scenes.
Speaking after the announcement, Annemarie shared her gratitude with typical humility, saying she felt “incredibly honoured” and that the award reflected the collective work of a team whose efforts often go unseen, but whose support makes a real and lasting difference in the lives of students.
It was a sentiment echoed by Lydia Rohmer, Principal and Chief Executive of UHI North, West and Hebrides, who described the HISA Awards as a meaningful celebration of staff and students alike, a moment to reflect on the efforts made across campuses to ensure every learner feels supported, seen and valued.
She offered warm congratulations to Annemarie, and to all those recognised this year, adding that she was “very proud of all our staff who so diligently care for our students” and reserved special praise for the highly commended staff across Fort William, Portree, Thurso, Stornoway and Alness.
Among them were Alasdair MacLeod, Ally Taggart, Charles McCrimmon, David Skene, Duncan Crofts, Hazel Stewart, Janek Mamino, Kara Smith, Louise Penny, and Sara Bailey each one nominated for the ways in which they went above and beyond, inspired, guided or supported those around them.
The list of nominees reads like a map of kindness and commitment across the region, from learning support and academic guidance to inspirational teaching, assessment feedback and professional services, reflecting the breadth of roles that play a part in helping students succeed, not just academically, but personally and professionally.
With 656 nominations submitted across the UHI partnership this year, the HISA Awards remain a cherished tradition that places students’ voices at the heart of how excellence is recognised, offering a platform to thank those who make education more than just a course, but a community.
As graduation season approaches, these stories of care, effort and encouragement will take their place alongside academic achievement, reminding us that behind every success is a network of people who showed up, stepped in and made a difference.
