John William Slater Award issued At Fleetwood Nautical Campus

Posted on 31 October 2024 by Tom Saunders

Marine Society were delighted to award this years John William Slater award for Outstanding Achievement to Blackpool and the Fylde college student, Dean Hodgson. Dean earned the coveted prize after showing exceptional ability and overcoming challenges in the face of adversity.

The JW Slater Memorial Fund has now entered it's 50th year, with Marine Society administering on behalf of Nautilus International for over 40 years and in the process providing more than 60 scholarships worth up to £20,000. These scholarships have proved valuable to a number of seafarers looking to further their maritime career through officer training and other related courses.

Dean was unfortunately not present for the official ceremony that took place at Trinity House as part of Marine Society & Sea Cadets' Annual Court, however the nautical college kindly invited Dean and his family along with Carla Rockson, Head of Seafarer Learning and Welfare, and Bindu Sharma, Seafarer and Welfare Learning Coordinator of Marine Society for a private issuing of the accolade.

Dean was the outstanding candidate in a strong field. He worked incredibly hard to achieve his Officer of the Watch Unlimited CoC via the blended learning pathway, whilst working full time and raising a young family. His enthusiasm for the subjects covered by the Advanced Certificate in Nautical Science helped him pass every module first time, along with his SQA written exams – achieving a grade A overall.

Dean’s willingness to devote so much of his precious leave to his studies has been truly impressive – and his tutors have commended his positive attitude to learning after a long time out of education. While blended learning did not initially come naturally to him, Dean’s dedication meant he soon improved and progressed – largely due to the extra hours of study he put in - often late into the night at home, after putting the children to bed, or at sea, where he even joined study sessions with the cadets on his vessel.

- Carla Rockson

Dean thanked Marine Society, the college and his colleagues onboard ship, not forgetting the unwavering support from his family and friends. We are delighted that the fund allowed Dean to achieve the position of Officer of the Watch after fifteen years of hard work and dedication, we now wish Dean luck and success as he trains to become a Dynamic Positioning Officer in the renewables sector.