Published on 14 July 2017
A young student has achieved an exceptional treble of accolades this week – and topped that off by graduating with a First Class degree.
Marcus Melton, 23, graduated from BA Business and Applied Marketing Management this week, winning three prizes: the Marriott Prize for Business Placement Student of the Year; the CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing) Prize for achievement in Business and Marketing Management, and The Ede and Ravenscroft prize for achievement across Undergraduate business programmes.
It is the first time that any student has won all three prizes, and Marcus joined over 2,500 other graduates at the University of Sunderland this week to receive his remarkable treble of academic accolades.
“Studying business at the University of Sunderland has opened up so many doors for me,” says Marcus, originally fromLouth in Lincolnshire. “Sunderland helped me succeed in the classroom, and I hope in the jobs market.
“The support I received throughout the course was brilliant, including the opportunity I received to take on a business management placement in the USA which allowed to develop both personally and professionally.”
The University of Sunderland has a long-standing partnership with White Lodging Services, the US hotel giant whose portfolio includes premium brands such as Marriott, Hilton, Starwood and Hyatt. Many Sunderland students have enjoyed internships with White Lodgings, and some graduates have gone on to work in permanent positions in the USA.
Chris Convery, Multi-Property Director of Human Resources at Marriott Hotels, said: “As an organisation we have built our business for the past 90 years by taking care of our employees. Marriott has always been a big supporter of university placements and investing in talent.
“The quality of students improves every year and this is invaluable to our business in developing young leaders of the future. Every year we receive a number of students who are hungry to learn, eager to impress and driven to achieve business and personal targets.
“I joined Marriott 12 years ago on a placement from the University of Sunderland, this allowed me to gain professional experience whilst supporting my academic studies and building a career.”
Marcus added: “I found that with my hard work, and the network and support that were there at the University helped me achieve my goal, a first-class degree.”
Now Marcus is going on to even bigger and better things – he has joined Fujitsu Defence and National Security’s graduate scheme in Digital Security Management.
“I could not have achieved what I have without my time spent at the University of Sunderland.”
The University of Sunderland’s Graduation Ceremonies are estimated to bring £1 million annually to the region and are attended by over 11,000 students, family, friends and supporters.