‘Derry Girl’ to Team Up With Derry Girls at Awards!

It turned out to be a very special birthday for North West Regional College student Katherine Wilkinson

Katherine had planned celebrating her big day with a long weekend in Belfast city centre, taking in the finals of the Northern Ireland Travel Student of the Year competition before next week travelling to Preston to continue her studies at university.

But the birthday break turned out to an extra special one with Katherine becoming the first ever Travel Student from Derry/Londonderry to win the Student of the Year title.

Katherine will now receive her award on stage at the Northern Ireland Travel and Tourism Awards organised by Northern Ireland Travel News, in association with Blue Insurance, which will be held on Friday, October 19 in the Slieve Donard Resort and Spa.

“Fittingly the Awards are being hosted this year by three stars of the Channel 4 TV hit series Derry Girls,” said Northern Ireland Travel News Editor, Brian Ogle.

Each of the finalists were presented with an engraved plaque to mark their achievements in making the final assessments. They were Maria Iguegni, of Southern Regional College, Pam Kelly, also of the Southern Regional College, Jennifer Charnley of North West Regional College and Nicole Hardy of Belfast Metropolitan College. Also present were their tutors Luane Quigley, North West, Carolyn McNeice, Belfast Metropolitan and Eithne Kinsella, of the Southern Regional College.

Brian Ogle paid tribute to the four travel industry judges who had once again given up their valuable time and expertise to carry out the assessments, carrying out their duties with diligence and enthusiasm.

They were James McGinn, Europa Hotel, Diane Poole, Stena Line, Brenda Morgan, British Airways and Doreen McKenzie of the Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance.

View Gallery: Travel Student of the Year Judging | Belfast

Travel Student of the Year Judging | Belfast

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