Inspirational Youth Awards 2026 Finalists

We’re so excited to share some amazing news with you all! Several of our incredible students and one of our societies have been selected as finalists for the 2026 Inspirational Youth Awards, and we couldn’t be prouder.

These students continue to inspire us every day with their passion, talent, and commitment to their fields - and now they’re being celebrated on a national level. This is such an amazing opportunity to showcase the incredible things our Staffs community is capable of, and we’d love your support in helping them go all the way!

Please join us in congratulating our finalists and showing your support by casting a vote for them using the link below. Every vote really does make a difference.
https://inspirationalyouthawards.co.uk/vote-now/

It’s moments like these that remind us why we’re so Proud to be Staffs.

Winners will be announced at the Inspirational Youth Awards ceremony on 25th April 2026.

Please see our incredible nominees below:

Tee Wallace: Inspirational Person of the Year
Binita Makanji (Cyber Security): Young Steam Personality of the Year
Owen Ford (Digital and Social Media Marketing): Most Promising Rising Star in Employment
Tiffani Walsh: Arts & Culture Award
Jemima Orakwue (Computer Science): Young Steam Personality of the Year
Kurtis Ashton (Esports): Young Sportsperson of the Year
Staffs Computing Society: Youth Project of the Year

Below you can read through a small message from Binita regarding her nomination:

‘For those that don’t know, my name is Binita, and I’m the Level 6 Cyber Security Course Rep at the London campus. I wanted to ask you for a small favour.

I’ve recently been selected as a finalist for the Inspirational Youth Awards 2026 in the Young STEAM Personality of the Year category. This recognition means a lot to me, as it reflects work I’m genuinely passionate about, supporting and empowering others within STEAM.
 

A big part of this nomination reflects the work I’ve done alongside my studies at Staffs, including:

• Delivering placement and internship talks to Level 4 and 5 Computing and Cyber Security students, sharing honest advice and lessons learned from my placement year and summer internship.
• Supporting fellow students with placement applications, CV feedback, and offering general guidance.
• Representing the university as a Student Ambassador, since Level 4, helping at open days, careers events, and school/college visits.
• Offering advice to prospective students via the Unibuddy and Staffs Campus Connect platforms.
• Using my industry experience to help bridge the gap between university study and real-world cyber security careers.

Public voting is now open, and if you feel my work aligns with what this award represents, I’d be incredibly grateful for your support. Voting is quick and straightforward, and every vote truly makes a difference.

You can vote using the following link: https://inspirationalyouthawards.co.uk/vote-now/

Of course, there’s absolutely no obligation, and please feel free to support anyone else who inspires you.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and hope you all have a great week ahead!

Best wishes,
Binita’

Once again, a huge congratulations to our students for making it to the finals!