Calum Smith
Perth College UHI Student of the Year - Calum Smith was awarded at the college’s graduation and the University of the Highlands and Islands Foundation Day in October 2016.
A BSc (Hons) Mechanical Engineering student, he was nominated because of his determination and perseverance in overcoming severe obstacles to his studies, a willingness to learn new skills, and his hard work to reach the academic levels required by his course.
Calum has overcome a lot of personal difficulties to achieve his degree. At one point he was homeless and living on the streets of Dundee. He turned himself around and did his HND at Dundee College which, due to its lack of maths content, was deficient at preparing him for the course work of year three in the Mechanical Engineering BSc at Perth College UHI. So in the first semester, Calum undertook a great deal of extra work to catch up with the other students. He passed every module with very good marks, despite difficult home circumstances making study there very difficult.
Calum achieved his BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering in summer 2016.
Calum Smith receives his award from HRH The Princess Royal, Chancellor of the University of the Highlands and Islands.