Outstanding student Henry Gale has been named one of the UK’s top students after a difficult start to his Further Education.
The City of Bath College student has earned the Outstanding BTEC Media Student of the Year Award in the 2013 National BTEC Awards.
He also beat off competition from more than 700 nominations across 22 award categories to come second in the overall award of ‘National Outstanding Student of the Year.’
Henry was treated to a Parliamentary reception and lunch at the House of Lords before the National BTEC Awards Ceremony hosted by Radio 1 DJ Matt Edmondson at the Royal Horticultural Halls.
Henry, who has just completed a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Media Productions, attended last week’s celebrations with family members and the College’s Media Course Coordinator James Purslow.
Aged 17 at the start of his A-Levels, Henry developed Psychosis and spent nearly a year in hospital with paranoia and negative thoughts.
On being discharged from hospital, Henry found new confidence and exceeded everyone’s expectations when he plucked up the courage to return to education.
Henry tried to return to learning several times, but it wasn’t until he started at City of Bath College in September 2011 that he realised his potential.
Henry, 21, from Bath, said: “It’s amazing this has happened, I’m so pleased, my life has changed so much in just a few years.
“It’s great my achievement has been recognised. Now I want to do what I can to help others in similar situations.”
College lecturers helped Henry work through his negative thoughts and encouraged him to use his condition as inspiration in his creative work.
Henry will be awarded a DDD* in the course he completed nearly a month early. He has been offered an unconditional place to study BA in Film Production at Arts University Bournemouth.
Henry, who hopes to work on-set in the film industry, said: “It’s been really good at College; I enjoyed the course so much. I found social situations a little difficult but I was helped to realise I didn’t have anything to worry about.”
Henry is also keen to use his personal experience to raise awareness of mental health issues in the hope sufferers can seek help without judgment.
As part of his course, Henry produced an animation called ‘Psychosis is Nothing like a Badger’ which has been picked up by several national charities. He was also asked to write a blog about his experiences by the charity Time to Change.
Henry said: “People’s perception of mental illness is negative.
“There is a lot of mis-information out there and a lot of stigma and stereotypes attached to mental illness.”
James described Henry as “incredibly creative” and said he had nominated him for the award because of his drive, creativity and ability to apply himself.
James said: “Henry is an outstanding student with an innate sense of creativity and storytelling.
“In his first year Henry produced a film which was the only entry from a Further Education student to achieve a screening in the drama section at the national student film festival, Screen Test. He also designed the layout for bladud in the Bath Chronicle.”
He added: “Henry’s attitude, level of work and understanding of creative media has been amazing. He’s been an exemplary student.
“I’m over the moon he’s won; it’s brilliant and thoroughly well-deserved.”
