An aspiring performer who turned to academia when she was forced to give up her dream of becoming a professional dancer after undergoing a major spine operation has been named Keele University's Student of the Year.

Charlotte Kirkham was training in musical theatre at a dance academy near her home in Surrey when she underwent surgery in 2019 for Bertolotti Syndrome, a condition of the spine that causes pain and reduced mobility in the lower back.

It forced the then 20-year-old to rip up her career plans and look at other options, and today, Charlotte graduated from Keele with a degree in Criminology and Psychology, as well as receiving the University's Neil and Gina Smith Student of the Year award for 2024.

Charlotte said: "I had the surgery a week after turning 20 and I thought I'd go in, have the operation and go back to the academy where my space was waiting for me and everything would be fine.

"After the operation I could walk quite quickly but that was about it, and I soon started to realise how long it would take to get back to the level I was at before. Within a month I knew I had to put my health first and find something else to do, so I started to look at going to university. I researched a few and Keele really stood out to me with its combined honours, because it allowed me to keep my options open and cover a wider range of subjects.

"I do look back sometimes at my dancing and wonder 'what if', but at the same time I am so grateful for coming to Keele and what I do now, and I think maybe something in the universe decided this is what I am supposed to be doing."

During her studies, Charlotte, now 24, clocked up more than 800 hours of volunteering across a range of activities and initiatives.

She led a group of students to found the KeeleSU Make a Smile charity-affiliated society, where members volunteer their time to dress as fictional princesses and princes to provide happy experiences for children with disabilities and illnesses.

She also led the Keele Panthers Cheerleading Club as Vice-Captain and, through this, has raised approximately £4,000 for Team England's adaptive abilities cheer team to support initiatives to promote inclusivity in sport.

Charlotte completed an international year at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, where she was invited to join the National Society of Collegiate Scholars in recognition of her academic achievements. On returning to Keele, she volunteered with the University's Global Opportunities team as a Peer Advisor, inspiring and guiding fellow students to pursue opportunities to study abroad.

Charlotte also acted as a Lead Student Voice Representative for her School and has been involved in working groups across the University in relation to improving student voice opportunities, and as an ambassador for the School on university open days, sharing her experiences on the course with prospective students and applicants.

Charlotte, who is due to start studying a Master's at Keele in Social Science Research in September, also received awards for achieving the best overall performance in Criminology, and the highest mark for the Psychology final year project module.

She said: "I'm someone who has always kept myself busy and I like to make a difference and help other people wherever I can. I’d like to do a PhD after my Master's and be able to use my studies to hopefully make a difference in the world.

"It's really quite overwhelming to receive the award and it came as a big surprise, but I genuinely enjoy the stuff that I do so it never feels like work to me. University has been a fantastic experience for me and has changed me as a person for the better."