Blended Learning student Dean wins national maritime outstanding achievement award

Blended Learning student Dean Hodgson has been named as this year's winner of the John William Slater Award for Outstanding Achievement.

The award celebrates a seafarer who is currently studying towards or has recently achieved their Certificate of Competency (CoC). The award celebrates exceptional ability, achievement and/or overcoming challenges to achieve success in the face of adversity

The Slater Fund celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. For over 40 years, Marine Society has administered The JW Slater Memorial Fund on behalf of Nautilus International, providing over 60 life-changing scholarships each year worth up to £20,000. This support has been gratefully received by experienced seafarers looking for the officer training needed to advance their careers and future prospects. 

Dean was unable to attend to collect his award at the formal ceremony early in the month, so we invited Carla Rockson, Head of Seafarer Learning and Welfare and Bindu Sharma, Seafarer Learning and Welfare Coordinator at Marine Society, along with Dean and his family to attend to a private award ceremony on campus.  Members of the Blended Learning and B&FC  exams teams also attended to celebrate the occasion.

Awarding his prize, Carla Rockson said:

Dean was the outstanding candidate in a strong field. He worked incredibly hard to achieve his Officer of the Watch Unlimited CoC via the blended learning pathway, whilst working full time and raising a young family. His enthusiasm for the subjects covered by the Advanced Certificate in Nautical Science helped him pass every module first time, along with his SQA written exams – achieving a grade A overall.

Dean’s willingness to devote so much of his precious leave to his studies has been truly impressive – and his tutors have commended his positive attitude to learning after a long time out of education. While blended learning did not initially come naturally to him, Dean’s dedication meant he soon improved and progressed – largely due to the extra hours of study he put in - often late into the night at home, after putting the children to bed, or at sea, where he even joined study sessions with the cadets on his vessel.

Dean thanked the Blended Learning team, the Marine Society and his supportive colleagues onboard ship and paid tribute to his family for all their love and support.  Dean has also pledged to continue his studies – via Blended Learning! - and to help and encourage other seafarers to do the same.

Dean is now training to become a Dynamic Positioning Officer and hopes to use that qualification in a new career supporting offshore wind farms. 

We’re delighted that Marine Society and the Slater Fund made it possible for Dean to qualify as a Officer of the Watch after fifteen years as an able seafarer and are so pleased that his achievements and success have been recognised. 

Photographed: Dean with his family, Carla and Bindu from Marine Society, Blended Learning team members, B&FC exams team members, Head of Campus and Head of Maritime