Every year, our students achieve incredible things. Whether it’s sporting success, phenomenal events, or amazing commitment to important causes, Queen’s students really are exceptional – and we are celebrating!
We’re delighted to share our Award Winners and Individual Achievement Award recipients of the SU Awards 2025!
Small Sporting Club of the Year – Dance Club
This has been a stellar year for the Club, with massive competitive success, a wonderful Strictly Come Dancing fundraiser, & the fabulous So You Think You Can Dance? night here on campus. Congratulations all!
Best New Club or Society – Scream Queens Society
Celebrating all things cinematic & scary, this new Society has made a firm commitment to inclusivity & accessibility. With a variety of events, activities, & ambitious future plans, the Scream Queens have made their mark!
Small Society of the Year – Indonesian Society
A perennially ambitious & creative Society, the Indonesian Society ran some stunning activities this year, including the Belfast International Games, the Harmony & Heritage market, & a suite of welcome & induction events for incoming international students. Amazing!
Medium Sporting Club of the Year – Snooker & Pool Club
In spite of very difficult circumstances, this Club has had an exceptional year. They’ve forged a new partnership with the World Snooker Tour, placed members on the national team, & brought home the first gold & bronze intervarsity medals in five years. Congratulations!
Medium Society of the Year – Aerospace Society
This Society offers Queen’s students a unique & exciting opportunity to get involved in space engineering. Shooting for the stars – in more ways than one! – this Society regular competes, chases ambitious goals, and develops its members. Fantastic!
Large Sporting Club of the Year – Tennis Club
It’s not every year you more than triple your membership, but that’s what the Tennis Club achieved this year! All while logging their best-ever intervarsity performance, developing new players into competitive team members, & expanding their recreational side – great work!
Large Society of the Year – Musical Theatre Society
The passion of this Society’s members shines brightly! They’ve delivered a huge number of productions this year, inviting students & the wider community to enjoy all things Musical Theatre. They’ve even represented Queen’s at competitive intervarsity events – bravo!
Best Student-Led Activity – Project Pink (Walkie Talkie Girlies Society)
Project Pink mobilised students & the community to stand up against violence against women & girls. The real-world impact was stunning – the project successfully lobbied Belfast City Council & welcomed the Lord Mayor to walk alongside them on the night. Incredible!
INDIVIDUAL ACHIEMENT AWARD RECIPIENTS
Recognising amazing accomplishments right across our student community.
Special Presentation: Adam Exley, Daniel Rankin, Jason McKillen, Sam Thompson & Sarah Carlisle – Each of these students will receive an Individual Achievement Award to celebrate their wonderful success representing Queen’s in this year’s University Challenge season. After completing a gruelling application, preparation & interview process, this year’s Queen’s team has had a stunning run – achieving the tied-best result for the University in over 40 years. This included knocking out Imperial College London – the reigning champions! – in the quarter-finals. Well done Adam, Daniel (team captain), Jason, Sam & Sarah!
Aine Ruth – To commend an enduring & impactful commitment to leadership in Queen’s Women’s Soccer, as Club President since 2023. Aine has helped the Club overcome challenging circumstances, forge supportive networks & nurture a strong team spirit.
Aisling Cannon – To recognise an extraordinary personal dedication to ending violence against women & girls, as co-founder of the Walkie Talkie Girlies, leader of Project Pink, lobbyist & activist working with Belfast City Council, PSNI, & the NI Executive to create tangible impact across the region.
Calum Butler – To highlight a deeply commendable voluntary commitment to the Donaghadee RNLI, as part of the all-weather lifeboat team responding to stricken vessels, medical emergencies & searches for missing persons, all alongside fundraising & outreach duties.
Chloe Hanna – To celebrate truly exceptional personal achievement in raising funds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, honouring her Nanny Evelyn’s memory. Chloe has raised more than £25,000, including running multiple marathons – and a 5k in full dinosaur costume!
Chloe O’Malley – In recognition of wonderful personal success in filmmaking, both as writer, director & editor, in other professional roles in a variety of productions, & as a winner & shortlisted nominee at various film festivals across Ireland.
Daisy Gallivan – To recognise a sustained commitment to student leadership, having run as a candidate in the SU Elections & held multiple executive positions in the Queen’s Lacrosse Club, working to create a thriving, supportive sporting community.
Eva Nicole Livadaris – In recognition of a wide breadth of achievement amidst personal challenge, “turning grief into growth” to become a Society Chair, Director for ELSA Belfast, a QUB social media rep, BARBRI Ambassador, and Peer Mentor.
Florence Diana Charles – To commend & celebrate individual contribution to student life at Queen’s, acting as Postgraduate School Rep for Psychology, delivering a talk at Elevate NI & facilitating a wide range of sessions & networking opportunities.
Gena Panaser – To recognise impressive Society leadership throughout a tumultuous year for Queen’s Nightline, motivating a strong volunteer base, fostering a supportive, thriving community of peers & volunteering a huge amount of time to support the mental wellbeing of Queen’s students.
Himanshu Betude – To celebrate impressive & sustained commitment to representing others & nurturing a strong student community, as South Asian Students’ Society Chair, Indian Society founder, School Representative, & SU Councillor.
Jude Ryan – To commend personal commitment to supporting others through sporting endeavours, including running the Belfast Marathon to raise charitable funds, & working to make the Queen’s Lacrosse Club an inclusive, vibrant community.
Lois Newby – To highlight exceptional achievement in Club leadership, having overcome significant challenges in Snooker & Pool to maintain a thriving Club calendar, secure alternative facilities, & establish a groundbreaking partnership with the World Snooker Tour.
Maya Thakker – To celebrate achievements as an inspirational mentor, including with young people as a Homework Clubs volunteer, an ambassador for Queen’s in Great Britain, & an anti-human trafficking volunteer standing up against exploitation.
Michael Connolly – In recognition of a consistent commitment to fostering a sense of community amongst Modern Languages students, including as Chair of the Spanish & Portuguese Society, Spanish Course Rep, & AHSS Student Skills Assistant.
Michael Elizabeth Gasior – To recognise a truly distinctive achievement in volunteering, helping to support the Olympic & Paralympic Games in Paris, including working with global athletes, validating accreditation passes & helping to quickly solve problems to keep things running smoothly.
Millie Agnew – To celebrate personal sporting success & inspirational achievement in Powerlifting, overcoming injury to represent Queen’s at the highest levels of student competition & advocating for more women to thrive in strength sports.
Mischa Gerrard – To commend a powerful commitment to empowering students, especially women, to develop their personal speaking skills & engage in effective debate, largely through holding the role of Internal Convenor of the Literific Society.
Oileán Galligan – In recognition of outstanding personal success in architecture, including admission to the Royal Society of Ulster Architects at the age of 19, & their key role in the winning team of the Student Charette prize at the World Architecture Festival in Singapore.
Piangfan Naksukpaiboon – To celebrate remarkable achievement in archery, including achieving bronze & gold in recurve mixed gender events at the National Disability Championships & being named as a Learning Disability & Autism Leaders Award winner in 2024.
Raymond Dong – To commend individual sporting achievement in pool at the national level, having represented Queen’s at the British Universities Pool Championships & the National Intervarsities, alongside an active role in Queen’s Club.
Ruby Corrigan – To recognise a remarkable achievement in leading the revival of the Gorgon magazine, after 60 years’ dormancy. This contribution to the literary legacy of Queen’s University celebrates the great Seamus Heaney, and included a launch event at his namesake centre on campus.
Sasha McCluskey – To celebrate a sustained commitment to creating space for fellow students to grow, connect, & feel seen, as Chair of the Fashion Society & Captain of the Sailing Club. Sasha has led both innovative fashion events & great competitive success on the water.
Shubhamkumar Mahendrabhai Baviskar – In recognition of spectacular entrepreneurial success, launching two new ventures (AAPTA GUT+GENIUS & AAPTA NUTRIFOODS), attracting tens of thousands of pounds of funding & acting as a mentor for other Queen’s students.
Tan Jia Jun – To recognise a wonderful personal contribution to the Queen’s community, including as a Prestige Volunteer, SU Councillor, Handy Helper, & Pantry volunteer, as well as holding an important role in the Asian Law Students’ Association Malaysia.
Tim Chan – To highlight an exceptional commitment to Society life at Queen’s, including as part of Esports, Computing & the Elevate NI team, alongside acting as School Rep, presenting at the Global Innovation Summit, and travelling to New York with the Queen’s delegation in March 2025.
Tom Bloomer – To recognise a raft of achievements this year, including as School Representative, Head of Events for the Computing Society, part of the team behind Elevate NI, & as a key member of the Esports Society, helping facilitate tournaments, competitive success, & key partnerships.
Vaishnavi Balkrishna Metangale – In commendation of individual commitment to student representation & leadership, including acting as Course Representative to India’s Foreign Minister during a visit to Belfast & leading workshops & collaborations across Schools
Valerie Fiamavle – To celebrate achievements leading the African Caribbean Society & working to enhance the experience of Black students at Queen’s, through engaging with the local community, running innovative events, & nurturing strong networks.
Varshitha Manjunath – In recognition of a stunning breadth of achievement, including as a Prestige Volunteer with 100+ hours completed, as an innovative student entrepreneur, as International Students’ Association Chair & as a GAA & football team player.
Huge congratulations to all our very worthy Award Winners! Until next year!
