What Happens After Winning A Rock Star Award?
What happens after the cameraman has stopped taking photos and the occasion of a celebratory night outcomes to an end?
The Rock Star Awards return in Spring 2019 to celebrate young people who have reached out, succeeded on the path they are currently on and deserve to be recognised.
The awards have been in place since 2012. This means that the alumni of award winners grow every year. This now represents people who have taken the initiative on a personal and professional capacity and their own journeys taking them to new places and providing a framework for their own development.
We caught up with three former winners on how their lives changed after winning a Rock Star Award.
We spent some time with Nat Hawley, Kamron Arasteh and Molly Brown on where their lives are now and a chance to look back on when they won an award.
Nat’s Journey Afterwards
Nat is now based in London as the Partnership and Community Manager for Exceptional Individuals, which is the first employment partnership for neurodivergent people. He won the Inspirational Star of the Future in 2014 and his current position reflects that.
Nat’s progression has been significant, he explains, “I have a degree from Bournemouth University in Television Production. However, my calling was to use my life experience to support others. Having adversity in your life and overcoming it inspires you to empower and support others. I have Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and autism, and use this unique positive experience to make the world a more inclusive place, one person, one day at a time.”
“It was a huge step to move to the city from my familiar surroundings in Bournemouth. The recognition and championing from Rock gave me the encouragement to take my passion a step further and be a campaigner for others with learning differences on a global scale. I became a supervisor for The Princes Trust, training others from challenging backgrounds to become youth workers, I have taught people with disabilities in multiple countries and currently celebrating one year in my current role at Exceptional Individuals with the launch of my very own Academy for people with Dyslexia.”
Looking back on the award win in 2014, can Nat recall what it felt? Nat looks back as a sense of recognition. He says, “I had always been a spokesperson for charitable organisations. Winning a Rock Star Award was acknowledgement for me as an individual. It provided me with added credibility and the recognition allowed me to reach a bigger audience and dedicate myself to supporting even more people as my full time job.”
“I found that after the awards this presented the ‘foot in the door’ moment. It started a conversation with others. To have one person believe in you is an achievement but to have an entire county is empowerment for a life time.”
Kamron’s Progression
Kamron Arasteh was recognised as a Student Rock Star in 2013 whilst in his final year at Bournemouth University, studying IT. Kamron now works for Europe’s leading home improvement retailer, Kingfisher, as a programme manager.
Kamron started the process believing it was an internal award by the University. “I originally thought this was an award that had a focus on my faculty and run by the University. To be a winner means a lot. I can remember taking my mum to the awards evening and watching the nominee video from one of the other finalists who had created a fantastic piece of software and had completed their Masters. Degree. I thought, ‘there’s no way, I’m going to win this.’ It was great to be recognised.”
Since winning the student award, Kamron has progressed his IT career with a variety of roles within Kingfisher that began as part of the company graduate scheme. Kamron continues, “I started in an admin support role and that has quickly changed over the past few years. I have worked on a £250m project to replace all B&Q IT systems and some considerable European wide projects. My working week is between offices in Southampton and Yeovil. I am currently running six large projects for Screwfix in adapting their HR and finance function.”
Whilst Kamron’s professional development has seen a sharp rise, he still looks back to his Rock Star Award win as providing a foundation. “When many people come out of University, our CV’s are very sparse and many look the same as there is limited experience, let alone award accolades! Everyone needs a magnet to draw people to. Being a Rock Star Award winner did this.”
Molly’s Development
One of the most recent award winners Molly Brown saw her award win recognised on a much wider level within her company.
Molly won the Shooting Star of the Future award in 2017 and made her way to the stage on crutches whilst recovering from an injury. Molly said, “It was an amazing feeling to win the award. Whilst I would not consider myself someone with an academic background, to have this award makes you believe in yourself.”
Molly is now Team Manager at wealth management company, Old Mutual Wealth. “I started with a six-month contract as an administrator and then became team manager. Winning a Rock Star Award isn’t just about recognition on a personal level, but something to be celebrated with colleagues and those we love.”
“My company reveled in it with me. We all enjoyed it. When others recognise these types of achievements you understand the contribution you make. It gives you a sense of place within the companies that we are part of.”
Time To Conclude
Winning a Rock Star Award is more than being part of an occasion. It is a way to encourage a conversation, celebrate on a wider scale and to have that first sense of recognition beyond studies and early years of full-time employment.
Spending time with those who have won an award in previous years gives perspective to consider what a long way they have come from.
From campaigning to managing wider teams to having qualities of leadership and drive, represents the whole ethos of what the awards wanted to be when it started in 2012. The journeys continue for all of us.
