Outstanding Student of the Year Awards 2026
Outstanding Student of the Year awards are awarded to Melbourne Polytechnic students who have shown outstanding levels of skill and commitment within their fields of study.
Students are judged on:
- Career and study achievements
- Communication, team and leadership skills
- Ability to represent the training system at a broader level
Congratulations to our 2026 award recipients and thank you to our generous award sponsor.
Get to know our Outstanding Student of the Year Award winners for 2026. Congratulations to all of our awardees.
Click the awardee's name to hear their story.
Overall Student of the Year Awards
Outstanding Vocational Education Student of the Year
Beth Gregory - Food, Fibre and Animal Industries
Outstanding Higher Education Student of the Year
Mai Mizuno - Business and Construction
Emerging Leader - Outstanding Foundation Student of the Year
Bakr El Haouli - VCE Vocational Major
Outstanding Foundation Directorate Student of the Year
Hedyeh Moeinaldavoud - English as an Additional Language
Outstanding Indigenous Student of the Year
Carol Moore - Construction
Outstanding Apprentice/Trainee of the Year
Matthew Reinhard - Food, Fibre and Animal Industries
Vocational Education Awards
Beth Gregory - Food, Fibre and Animal Industries
Bhagyashree Patel - Creative Arts
Haruka Sakamoto - Business, Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics
Higher Education Awards
Mai Mizuno - Business and Construction
Foundation Awards
Ying Jie Soon - Bridging and Prep
Lukas Duffy - Work Education
Hedyeh Moeinaldavoud - English as an Additional Language
Vocational Education Awards
Beth Gregory
Outstanding Food, Fibre and Animal Industries Student of the Year
Certificate IV in Horticulture AHC40422
Bhagyashree Patel
Outstanding Creative Arts Student of the Year
Diploma of Visual Arts CUA51120 (Illustration)
After leaving a successful interior design career, Shree rediscovered her passion for art at Melbourne Polytechnic, building confidence, creativity and a new future as an illustrator.
Haruka Sakamoto
Outstanding Business, Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics Student of the Year
Diploma of Information Technology ICT50220
Haruka's journey from recruitment to cloud engineering shows how targeted study, practical skills and determination can support a successful career change into the growing technology industry.
Higher Education Awards
Mai Mizuno
Outstanding Business and Construction Higher Education Student of the Year
Bachelor of Information Technology
Mai turned her classroom learning into real-world innovation, building industry connections, and applying technical skills to develop solutions that have supported her career success.
Foundation Awards
Ying Soon
Outstanding Bridging and Preparatory Student of the Year
Diploma of Auslan PSP51018
Ying turned a lockdown curiosity about Auslan into a rewarding career pathway, building language skills, community connections and a deeper sense of purpose at Melbourne Polytechnic.
Lukas Duffy
Outstanding Work Education Student of the Year
Certificate I in Work Education 22706VIC
Lukas found his place, purpose and confidence through education and community support. His journey highlights personal growth, meaningful connections, and discovering a clear pathway for the future.
Hedyeh Moeinaldavoud
Outstanding English as an Additional Language Student of the Year
Certificate III in EAL (Access) 22640VIC
Hedyeh rebuilt her confidence and future through English language studies, earning Outstanding Student of the Year honours while supporting fellow migrants as a mentor, volunteer and interpreter.
Overall Awards
Matthew Reinhard
Outstanding Apprentice/Trainee of the Year
Certificate III in Sports Turf Management AHC31324
After leaving a finance career, Matthew found purpose in sports turf management, building a hands-on career maintaining elite sporting surfaces through study and work-based training.
Bakr El Haouli
Emerging Leader - Outstanding Foundation Student of the Year
VCE Vocational Major
After overcoming homelessness, mental health challenges and setbacks in education, Bakr learned to ask for help, completed his VCE-VM, and rebuilt confidence in his future.
Carol Moore
Outstanding Indigenous Student of the Year
Certificate II in Building and Construction Pre-Apprenticeship 22614VIC
Carol turned her passion for building into a career pathway through a carpentry pre-apprenticeship, gaining hands-on skills, confidence and a clear path into the trades.
Sponsors
Thank you to our Outstanding Student of the Year Awards sponsor for 2026.
Previous years' Outstanding Student awards
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Outstanding Student of the Year Awards 2025These are our Outstanding Student of the Year Award winners for 2025.LEARN MORE -
Outstanding Student of the Year Awards 2024These are our Outstanding Student of the Year Award winners for 2024.LEARN MORE -
Outstanding Student of the Year Awards 2023Melbourne Polytechnic has a long history of celebrating our student’s completion of their studies. These are our Outstanding Student of the Year Award winners for 2023.LEARN MORE -
Outstanding Student of the Year Awards 2022Melbourne Polytechnic has a long history of celebrating our student’s completion of their studies. These are our Outstanding Student of the Year Award winners for 2022.LEARN MORE -
Outstanding Student of the Year Awards 2021Melbourne Polytechnic has a long history of celebrating our student’s completion of their studies. These are our Outstanding Student of the Year Award winners for 2021.LEARN MORE
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Outstanding Student of the Year Awards 2020Melbourne Polytechnic has a long history of celebrating our student’s completion of their studies. These are our Outstanding Student of the Year Award winners for 2020.LEARN MORE -
Outstanding Student of the Year Awards 2019Melbourne Polytechnic has a long history of celebrating our student’s completion of their studies. These were our Outstanding Student of the Year Award winners for 2019.LEARN MORE -
Outstanding Student of the Year Awards 2018Melbourne Polytechnic has a long history of celebrating our student’s completion of their studies. These were our Outstanding Student of the Year Award winners for 2018.LEARN MORE