22-year-old Lewis Yarnold becomes the second ever recipient of the honour, following in the footsteps of inaugural winner Mason Leek last year.
The award was created in memory of former Wolves Foundation trustee and Wolverhampton College principal Ian Millard, who passed away in September 2020 at the age of 68.
Lewis was surprised with the presentation ahead of Sunday’s fixture, with members of the Wolves Foundation team and Ian’s family present at Molineux.
Yarnold originally engaged with the Foundation as a teenager, as part of the BTEC Football & Education College Academy.
He then enrolled on the Wolves degree programme in partnership with the EFL Trust and University of South Wales, and is currently in the second of his three-year Football Coaching, Development and Administration course at Molineux.
Alongside his studies Lewis is also gaining practical experience, spending time working in local primary and secondary schools.
Jonathon Warburton, education and skills manager at Wolves Foundation, said: “Lewis has been a dedicated and hard-working student and we’re really pleased to be able to reward him in this way.
“Many staff members at the Foundation have commented on what a great person he is. Lewis is one of those individuals who quietly gets his head down and gets on with his job but does so at a really high standard.
“In recent months, Lewis has been heavily involved in our Premier League Inspires programme for secondary school children.
“It’s great to see the progression in both his skills and confidence as he has gone from assisting, to now starting to lead some of these sessions.”
And his excellent performance has not gone unnoticed, with Yarnold being taken on in a full-time capacity at the start of October.
“Lewis worked across the department on a casual basis, before starting on a short-term contract over the summer due to our increased presence at The Way Youth Zone”, said Luke Shearing, inclusion and cohesion manager at the Foundation.
“We have had overwhelmingly positive feedback from senior management and lead staff at the Way. Lewis is extremely conscientious, has adapted to youth work brilliantly, and builds up a real rapport with young people.
“Now on a full-time contract, he’ll be working across our Premier League Kicks and Step Together projects, and we’re really excited to welcome him to the team permanently.”
Ian’s widow Diane and daughters Nicola and Laura kindly invited donations in Ian’s memory after his passing, raising almost £1700 which was put towards Foundation projects.
The award honours the late principal by recognising a student for their outstanding educational achievement across any of the Foundation’s courses.
“As well as being a hugely dedicated and influential trustee of Wolves Foundation, Ian was also so passionate about helping young people achieve their potential”, said head of Wolves Foundation, Will Clowes.
“The award will continue Ian’s legacy of positivity and enthusiasm for learning, and congratulations to Lewis who is a deserving winner.”
