Last month, a group of A-Level students at Richmond upon Thames College (RuTC) were thrown into a fast-paced day filled with new ideas, real budgets, and tight deadlines when a former RuTC student returned to the college to host one of her ideathon events.
Kirandeep Kaur attended RuTC from 2019-2021, after finishing her A-Levels she moved on to complete a two-year Level 4 Software Testing Apprenticeship with IBM. She has recently set up Ambifest events company, specialising in crafting unique, themed experiences that bring ideas to life.
With the Ambifest team our learners took part in a Halloween based event day, rising to the challenge of working in teams to build inspiring pitches to present to peers and tutors. Working outside of their comfort zones and handling unexpected setbacks, they demonstrated real resilience, adaptability, and determination throughout the day.
One of the most memorable moments came from the winning team, who lost their presentation file shortly before they were due to pitch. Rather than giving up, they delivered a heartfelt, face-to-face presentation without slides. Their idea to a combined murder mystery and horror film night aimed at tackling isolation - stood out as clear, creative, and realistic. The Ambifest team are now exploring ways to help them bring it to life this summer.
We were also proud to see students experiment with editing, content creation, animation and even acting as part of a surprise activity.
Overall, the presentations highlighted how much growth, confidence, and collaboration can take place in just one day.
CEO of Ambifest, Kirandeep commented:
“Having returned to RuTC, it’s been nostalgic seeing the teachers who once supported me when I had no idea what I wanted to do in life. Thank you for the opportunity to share our life lessons with these students today. We hope they have come away with not only confidence in working with others, but also a belief that their ideas truly can make a difference in the world.
Special thanks to our amazing volunteer mentors, and the RuTC and HRUC team, without whom we couldn't have done this! We look forward to seeing what these young minds do next and suggest they make the most of the support they have at college while they have it!”