Psychology Prize 2011

York College student, Abbie Girling, has been awarded the Caroline’s Rainbow Foundation Psychology prize. The prize is presented each year in memory of ex-York College student, Caroline Stuttle. Caroline’s mother, Marjorie Marks-Stuttle, who set up the charity ‘Caroline’s Rainbow Foundation’ which aims to promote safety awareness for young travellers, presented 18-year-old Abbie with a certificate and £50 of book tokens.

Abbie Girling (an ex- Manor C of E School pupil) from Rawcliffe plans to study a psychology degree at the University of York. Her tutor, Andy Higgs has been impressed with Abbie’s aptitude to the subject and performance in the classroom saying: “Abbie has developed into an outstanding psychology student who has embraced the analytical nature of a difficult subject.

She has approached her studies with a steely determination and good humour that often helped elaborate the understanding of those around her. This is all the more notable as Abbie started the AS course year a month behind her peers. I believe that Abbie will become an excellent professional in whatever area of work she chooses to follow in later life and feel that she is more than deserving of this prestigious honour.”

Abbie is delighted to be this year’s coveted prize winner, saying: “When I came to College I didn’t expect to love the subject as much as I do. It has become the centre of my life for the last two years. The A Level course has captured my particular interest in child psychology, which is something I really want to pursue. The tutors have been inspirational and so helpful.

The College has also helped me to gain further experience with children by offering extracurricular volunteering activities such as working on the right to read project at Woodthorpe Primary School and a placement with SNAPPY, where I have continued to work as a volunteer in my spare time. I have loved every minute of my time at York College. I have enjoyed managing my own learning and becoming more independent and I am so excited to progress to university to study psychology.”