Impressive training year earns award for language student

Tuesday 20 November 2012

Impressive training year earns award for language student

A Business Management and German language student has received the award for best performance during the Professional Training Year following her placement at Mazda Motors Europe headquarters in Germany.

The presentation to Sandra Gershon was made by the award donor David Ebsworth, who studied Chemistry and German at Surrey in the 1970s, and is now CEO of Vifor Pharma in Switzerland.

Professor Phil Powrie, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences, said: “Making the decision was really difficult as all of our Professional Training Year (PTY) students show huge commitment and have excellent experiences. However, Sandra performed at a level not usually expected from an intern and was given a lot of responsibility which she carried out to the highest standard. Her supervisor in Germany said the only bad thing about Sandra was that she was leaving!”

David Ebsworth said the PTY was an invaluable experience and his placement had changed his life. “My industrial year taught me that I didn’t want to be a chemist in a lab so I switched to linguistics for my PhD. Well done to Sandra for such an excellent year.”
 

Sandra said: “My placement was so rewarding and was an extremely valuable experience. The team was very supportive and I was made to feel at home from the start. I was involved in project management, something I had never done before, and it has really opened my mind to consider other career options when I finish my degree.”