Offaly teaching graduate receives top award at conferring ceremony

PRIMARY Education graduate, Emma Maloney, from Birr, had double cause for celebration after achieving ‘top of her class’ status at the annual Hibernia College conferring ceremony which was held at Dublin’s Convention Centre recently.

In addition to receiving her Masters qualification, Emma was honoured with the overall Student of the Year Award – presented by the College to the student in each cohort with the highest grade across the Primary programme.

A teacher at Mercy Primary School, Birr, Emma was one of 920 graduates from all 26 counties to graduate with Primary or Post-Primary teaching qualifications from Hibernia College in what was their largest graduation cohort to date.

Congratulating her and other graduates, who she described as “being in a unique position to shape the future of every one of their students,” Dr Mary Kelly, Academic Dean at Hibernia College, said all in attendance “will make a vital and valuable contribution to their chosen profession at a time when our country is so short of teachers.”