The event was held in the Tiverton Campus’s Exe Restaurant and winners from the class of 2014 were presented prizes for outstanding academic and personal achievement.

The returning students, who have gone on to university or employment, were reunited with each other, as well as their college lecturers who gave glowing citations as the awards were handed out.

Keith Devine, head of the school of humanities and science, welcomed students, parents, lecturers and VIPs to the event, the fourth of its kind to be held at the college.

He said: “This is my favourite night of the year. It’s a genuine pleasure to host the awards, celebrating the success and achievements of our students.”

“It’s not just about academic excellence; it’s about celebrating all the extra-curricular opportunities that our students grasped with both hands during their time here at Petroc.”

Three former students – Amy Bradley, Sonke Hee and Laura Hooper - were invited to the ceremony as guest speakers.

Amy, a triple award winner from  2013 who is now studying Law at Cambridge, said: “Congratulations to everyone here this evening. It’s great to see hard work pay off and be rewarded.”

Amy spoke of how she took part in a shadowing scheme at Cambridge, even though she could never imagine herself fitting into Oxbridge life. It turned out to be her best decision to date and she finished her speech with a few words of wisdom for her predecessors: “You should take as many opportunities as you can, however big or small they may be, as you don’t know where they might lead.”

The Mayor of Tiverton, Cllr Sue Griggs, attended the ceremony and had the honour of presenting the Exceptional Merit awards.

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“I’m so impressed by the dedication you have shown to get to this point,” she commented.

“With hard work you can achieve great things. As Mayor of Tiverton I am very proud of all your achievements. We are all ambassadors for all that is great about Tiverton,” she added.

Emma White, who achieved two A*s and two As at A Level, picked up a handful of awards at the ceremony for A Level Biology and her work for the British Biology Olympiad. She was also presented the Exceptional Achievement Award and the Overall Academic Achievement Award.

“I really enjoyed my time at Petroc,” said Emma.

“I had a medical set-back during my time here, which meant I had to stay for a third year. However, all the lecturers and tutors were so supportive and this made me more determined than ever to succeed in my third year,” she explained.

“It’s an honour to be presented these awards tonight,” added Emma.