Successes: Victoria Cann & Hannah Taylor

On the 18th July 2008, Victoria Cann and Hannah Taylor graduated from UEA having jointly attained the highest grade in Sociology related degrees - in this case both Politics and Sociology of Contemporary Culture - and hence were also jointly awarded the Malcolm McFarland Prize.

"I would like to thank the Foundation for awarding me the Malcolm McFarland prize. It means a great deal to me that the Foundation recognises the hard work that not only the academics put in to achieving excellency in the field of Sociology at the UEA, but also the students. Having moved from the University of York to the UEA in my first year, my passion for contemporary sociological theory has greatly developed in the thriving learning environment at the UEA, and I am humbled at the generosity of the Foundation in rewarding my achievements that have been fuelled by my love for the subject.

The prize will be used towards my Master’s study at the UEA in Media and Cultural Politics, of which my thesis will focus on the ways in which teenager’s identify themselves members of the British nation, drawing on sociological theory of youth identities. As I come from a working class, single parent background, I am unable to receive any financial support from my family, and as the government does not supply financial assistance to post-graduate students, the Malcolm McFarland prize has made a great difference towards the cost of post-graduate study, taking me one step closer to my goal of becoming a lecturer in the field of Sociology.

I once again thank the generosity of the Foundation, without such organisations the thriving research culture within the field of Sociology would not be possible.

Victoria Cann, July 2008"