THE NEW principal of Dundee College said yesterday she was “filled with pride” at attending her first awards ceremony, for more than 400 students who were celebrating the successful completion of their courses.

Christina Potter, formerly head of Elmwood College in Fife, promised the audience at Caird Hall that she would be working hard to maintain the college’s reputation.

She said, “I know that among you today there are some who have decided to go on to study at a higher level, and once again I felt great pride when it was brought to my attention that one of our acting and performance students is off to London to take up a place at the renowned East 17 theatre school, while another has won a place at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

“Many of you will go out into the world of work, taking the skills gleaned at college and applying them in the real world. Some of you may have already launched your own businesses and are already contributing to the local economy.

“One of our students even went as far as to be presented to royalty earlier this year—one of only a tiny group to actually meet the Queen at an event at Holyrood Palace. The others included Paolo Nutini, Dundee-born actor Brian Cox and Cardinal Kevin O’Brien, so she was in good company.

“I am sure that there are hundreds more of these success stories right here in front or me and, much as it is nice for me and the college staff on this stage to think it was the expertise and resources at Dundee College which brought about these successes—the truth is that it was you.”

She noted that for some students the decision to go into further education had been the hardest of their lives and, having shown their capacity for hard work and commitment, they were now entitled to celebrate.

Among the hundreds of students welcomed up on stage was Joe Lamb, whose scientific career—he was an expert in plant molecular biology at St Andrews University—was cut short by the genetic disorder retinitis pigmentosa, which robbed him of his sight.

He enrolled at Dundee College where he gained a Higher National Diploma in legal services.

He now puts his own experience of overcoming adversity to good use by helping clients of the citizens advice bureaux in Dundee and St Andrews.

An HND in accounting was the reward for the hard work of mother-of-three Mandy Wilson, who enrolled after a back injury forced her to give up work. She has also had to cope with partial deafness.

She said, “I am dead keen to apply the skills I have gained at college in a real environment and am willing to offer my services to any local charities or non-profit organisations just to add the experience to the theory.”

Also graduating with an HNC in fine art was Vicky Gazeley, whose success was tinged with sadness after losing her grandmother, Helen Muir, to cancer while struggling to realise her dream.