The Postgraduate Student Prize has been awarded to MA Education and Psychology student, Dorontinë Berishaj.
Dr Kat Easton nominated Dorontinë for the award stating, "In all her work she shows strong evidence of an in-depth understanding of knowledge and is highly critical and reflexive of a wide and varied range of current issues and debates, principles, and themes at the forefront of the academic and professional area.
For her dissertation she conducted a qualitative piece of research exploring teachers understanding of mental health in young people in her home country of Montenegro. She was meticulous in conducting this research from start to finish and showed a passion for the topic that she hopes to take back to her home country to influence policy and practice."
On hearing that she had been awarded, Dorontinë commented, "It would be an understatement to say that I am honoured to receive the Postgraduate Student Prize. Receiving a Chevening Award to study at the School of Education at the University of Sheffield was already an honour that I have perhaps tried to repay with my hard work this academic year.
As a strong believer in learning with and through others, it feels like writing about these prizes is outside my range of interests or perhaps unfitting of my personality. Yet, I see them as official evidence to the appreciation I have for everyone involved: whether those who ensured that the programme syllabus is so well-curated, or the lecturers that very critically challenged our preconceptions about both educational practices and psychological theory, and who kept us going throughout this rather unconventional, isolating and restricting academic year.
I am forever grateful to my supervisor and tutor, Kat, for her support, constructive feedback, and encouragement throughout the year. But I am most appreciative for her serving as a model of how and when one is to prioritise one’s wellbeing and mental health despite academic pressures and challenges."
Many congratulations to Dorontinë on her achievements and for demonstrating the qualities and values we aim to instil in our Sheffield graduates.
