Annual Finalists’ Dinner prompts fond memories of HMC

Finalists pose with HMC Tutors after the dinner, including Senior Tutor Isabel Ruiz (centre)

Each year, Harris Manchester hosts a dinner for final-year students. A relaxed occasion for the College’s final-year students to gather with staff and tutors for one last time before they embark on the next stage in their lives, the event has become a fixture in HMC’s calendar. 

This year’s dinner took place on 17 June and provided an opportunity for students to discuss their plans – with some starting out on new careers, others moving to different countries and several continuing their studies. 

The occasion also marked HMC Principal Professor Jane Shaw’s final after-dinner speech to students. She told them: “We are so proud of you, we want you to stay in touch, we want to know what you are doing, and we will watch your careers with great interest.” 

Many students also shared what HMC has meant to them over the past years. For Brendon Kwok (PPE) the opportunity to mix with other mature students and hear about their experiences has been particularly rewarding. He commented: “I think what has been most special for me about Harris Manchester College is the diversity of experiences and perspectives that come with an environment of mature students, which makes for a space where you’re always learning something new, but unafraid as well to share your own thoughts. And beyond all this exchange and learning, I’ve made friends I’m certain I will have for a lifetime.”  

For Garth Borchardt (History) the dinner provided an opportunity to reflect on his own journey. He said: “I'm truly grateful, and astounded at how welcome I was made to feel at HMC. These last 3 years were the toughest of my entire life, which is saying a lot at my age, but it was supremely worth it.”