Burnley College is celebrating A Level Alumnus Eshan Bilal after he was awarded the Student Achievement Award at the prestigious Educate North Awards 2025 – the first time the award has been handed out by a panel of top judges from the education sector
This accolade celebrates Eshan’s exceptional academic achievements, his standout leadership at a local and national level and his contributions to the community and Burnley College,
Achieving stellar A Level results in Chemistry, Biology and Psychology in 2024, he is now reading Medicine at the University of St Andrew’s.
Eshan’s achievements extend far beyond the classroom:
- National Leadership in Politics
Eshan was selected to address the House of Commons on the critical issue of the cost-of-living crisis and its impact on young people throughout the UK. His powerful speech inspired politicians and led to his participation in a national campaign tackling child food poverty.
- Innovating for Climate Change
Eshan collaborated with the Department for Environmental and Rural Affairs to develop “For Planet,” a mobile app to educate and empower young people to fight climate change.
- Passion for Conservation
Eshan represented the North of England as a WWF Youth Ambassador, attending national conferences and driving engagement programmes to encourage young people to support conservation efforts.
- National Representation and Governance
As an active Youth Parliament member, Eshan demonstrated his commitment to social progress by being appointed to the Burnley Town Board, playing a key role in allocating £20 million in Government funding for community development projects. Eshan also sat as a student representative on Burnley College’s Board of Governors.
Eshan’s outstanding achievements reflect the unique opportunities Burnley College provides for its motivated and ambitious learners.
Through access to enriching initiatives such as the Med Society, of which Eshan was a keen and prominent member, students are empowered to grow their skills, gain valuable experience and achieve success on local, regional, national and international platforms.
Eshan chose to follow a path in medicine after becoming seriously ill with acute respiratory distress syndrome and sepsis, falling into a coma shortly before he was due to start his studies at Burnley College. The compassion and expertise of the people who cared for him meant he was inspired to take a different path to that he had originally planned in life.
Eshan says of the award presentation:
“I was quite surprised: even after the nomination, it really wasn’t something I was expecting.
“However, I’m over the moon to have won the award! I’m glad I was able to make those who supported me during my journey, like Burnley College and my parents, proud!”
Join a College where your ambitions will be supported, your talents enriched and you are empowered to embrace all of the opportunities ahead of you.
For more information on Burnley College’s courses and enrichment programmes, visit www.burnley.ac.uk
