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A Film Studies student from Â鶹´«Ã½, Leicester (Â鶹´«Ã½) is the first to be awarded a cash boosting scholarship from the Adam Redfern Memorial Fund to help fulfil their career ambitions as a filmmaker.

The fund, which aims to enable ambitious third-year media students to fulfil their potential during their time at university was set up in honour of late Â鶹´«Ã½ graduate and colleague, Adam Redfern who died suddenly of a cardiac arrest while out jogging in March 2021, aged 28.

After a number of applications from a talented pool of students, third-year Film Studies student, Sarah-Michelle Durrant stood out to the Fund's committee members, including Adam’s parents, Ian and Christine Redfern, who judged the entries.

Christine and Ian Redfern with student Sarah-Michelle

The 42-year-old single mother of two, decided during the pandemic she wanted to change her career path and make her children proud, before applying to Â鶹´«Ã½ to study Film. Juggling a 25-mile commute, two children and university work, Sarah-Michelle has the drive and energy the Redfern’s saw in their son.

Sarah-Michelle, who applied for the scholarship just before Christmas, said: “I remember getting an email about the scholarship and I spoke to my tutor about it who encouraged me and wrote me a lovely reference.

“It’s really easy to apply, I filled out a form which was a bit like writing a personal statement, with some information about my personal life, university life, my career and ambitions and submitted it, simple as that.

“When I found out I had been awarded the scholarship I cried and cried, it was the best Christmas present I could ever have wished for, its going to help boost my career in unimaginable ways.”

Adam’s parents, Ian and Christine Redfern said: “From our perspective when we set the fund up, the goal was three-fold, firstly to highlight cardiac issues in young adults and then to support media and sport students here at Â鶹´«Ã½.

 “We deliberately targeted the fund at third-year media students because we wanted to attract someone who had ambition both inside and outside Â鶹´«Ã½, just like Adam did."

Adam Redfern

“We wanted someone that went beyond Â鶹´«Ã½ to enhance their career and in turn bring extra credit back to Â鶹´«Ã½, which is very much what Adam was about. If he wanted something he didn’t just wait for it to come to him, he went out and got it.

“We could very much see this drive in Sarah-Michelle’s application, what she has already achieved in only two and a half years at Â鶹´«Ã½ is remarkable.”