Fife College Student Wins HIT Scotland Scholarship

A Fife College student has been awarded a scholarship from HIT Scotland for her excellent achievements and commitment towards her studies.

Julia Sherriffs, (17) from Dunfermline was delighted to receive the award which includes a placement with the five star luxury, Gleneagles Hotel which will begin in the coming months. The placement is a fantastic opportunity which is sure to set Julia up for a great career in the tourism and events industry.

The award was made through the Adam Smith Foundation, which looks after the College’s scholarship programme, and was presented at a special event held at the College’s St Brycedale Campus in Kirkcaldy.

Trust Fundraiser, Gaynor Jarrett and Head of Department for Business, Enterprise and Tourism, Bryan McCabe introduced the awards and were delighted to welcome

David Cochrane, HIT Scotland’s Chief Executive. David gave an extremely inspiring speech about the hospitality industry and the endless possibilities available to the students who choose to go down that path. He also presented a certificate to Julia and congratulated her on her success.

Julia, who is currently studying the NQ Events course at Fife College, is still in shock from winning this award and would like to express her gratitude to the Adam Smith Foundation for introducing her to this wonderful opportunity. Said Julia: “I am so honoured to accept this award. This will be such a great experience and I would like to thank HIT Scotland and the Adam Smith Foundation for everything!”

Julia hopes to carry on with her studies and enroll onto the HNC Events course after the summer. She added: “I am thoroughly enjoying my course and would recommend it to anyone looking to get into events or tourism. I love the marketing aspect of the course and how it enables us to be creative and think as if we are real industry professionals.”

Gaynor Jarrett, Trust Fundraiser for the Adam Smith Foundation, said: “Julia is a credit to the College and we were delighted that her family and classmates joined us at the awards event to help make it such a memorable occasion.

“The Adam Smith Foundation is a unique programme that helps hundreds of students each year by giving them a helping hand and recognition which provides them with the boost they need to progress their studies and begin their career. I would like to congratulate Julia on her achievement and thank HIT Scotland for their support.”​

David Cochrane, Chief Executive at HIT Scotland said: “HIT Scotland is delighted to award the scholarship to Julia. She showed all the positive characteristics that we look for in our dynamic industry and it was superb to see so many of her friends and family in attendance at the award ceremony to show their support too.

“Her scholarship will enable her to explore and learn from the best of the best, and I know this will enhance her opportunities into the future.”

Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland is a charity which aims to help those training to enter the industry and those already within, to develop their skills and enhance their knowledge.