Prestigious Winning Students 100 scholarship programme recognizes elite athletic excellence of two UHI students.
Celebrating Atheltic Excellence
We are delighted to announce that two UHI students, Laura Watt and Isabella Fioretti, have been awarded the prestigious Winning Students 100 scholarship for 2025. Managed by the University of Stirling and funded by the Scottish Funding Council, sportscotland and Scotland’s higher and further education sector, the scholarship is a world-leading dual career programme that supports over 100 talented student athletes across Scotland each year.
Since its launch in 2008, the programme has supported more than 1500 student athletes, including world and Olympic champions. The scholarship provides athletes with grants of up to £3000 as well as working with universities and colleges to offer academic flexibility- enabling student athletes to balance demanding training and competition schedules with their studies. This year, 106 athletes from 18 universities and colleges across Scotland have been selected- spanning 31 different sports.
Laura Watt, a Sports Therapy student at UHI Perth is an accomplished international curler. She won gold at the World Junior Curling Championships (2023), claimed the Scottish Junior title and represented Team GB at the World University Games in both 2023 and 2025. Laura was awarded a Sporting Blue as well as being named UHI Sportsperson of the Year 2023. She also won the Perth and Kinross Sports Personality of the Year award the same year.
Isabella Fioretti, a Sports Coaching and Development student at UHI Inverness, has established herself as one of the more promising young boxers in the country. She secured the title of British Youth 63kg champion, representing Scotland at the GB Three Nations in 2024, demonstrating her significant potential on the national and international stage. Isabella was awarded a Sporting Blue this year.
Both students exemplify the commitment, talent and resilience that the Winning Students scholarship aims to support. Their selection highlights not only their individual achievements but also UHI’s growing reputation for nurturing high-performance athletes.