Principal's Medal: Morgan Brooke-Johnson

I should now like to introduce the Principal’s Medal. This award was inaugurated eleven years ago with a gift from three anonymous donors and is supported by Ede and Ravenscroft, believed to be the oldest firm of tailors and robe-makers in the world.

The award of the Principal’s Medal recognises students who display exceptional endeavour and achievement during their time at St Andrews. The awards are open to final-year undergraduates and postgraduates in any discipline. The achievements celebrated are academic as well as sporting, musical, or other attainments.

For the academic year 2019 to 2020, the Principal’s Medal is being presented to three outstanding students. This afternoon we recognise Morgan Brooke-Johnson, who has just received her Master of Arts with Honours in Management – and I am pleased to note that she has received a first-class degree.

Morgan joined the University of St Andrews via our Supported Pathway programme, succeeding at gaining a place initially to read for the Master of Arts general degree. This Supported Pathways programme is designed to unlock potential where it had previously not been allowed to flourish and, during her time at St Andrews, Morgan has been an outstanding example of its worth. After completing her second year of study, Morgan advanced to honours level study; she made the Deans’ List for Outstanding Academic Achievement in both honours years and this year received the Nisbet Prize which recognises the most outstanding Management student. Morgan graduates with one of the most accomplished student records of her entire cohort, despite being a commuter student with significant responsibilities at home that are not shared by her peers.

Morgan’s generosity and will to self-advancement are demonstrated outside of the classroom: she was personally approached to work as a Research Assistant by academics within the School of Management who were so impressed by her resourcefulness that they have since supported Morgan into further study and will oversee her transition into PhD work. And in her spare time, Morgan has volunteered as a Mentor for Gateway to Arts students for the past two years, in which role she has supported five incoming students in transitioning to the St Andrews community.

Morgan, in recognition of all that you have achieved academically and your selfless support of others during your time as an undergraduate, and as you begin a Master of Research in Management Studies at our University with a view to pursuing doctoral studies, it gives me great pleasure to bestow upon you the Principal’s Medal. Morgan will join us at one of the rescheduled ceremonies to receive her medal from me in person in due course; for now, I am pleased that Morgan will share a few words of her own.

– Principal Sally Mapstone