Benjamin Mikkelsen Won Best Student Award

Following a poll among his fellow students, Benjamin Mikkelsen, from Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL), has been elected "Best Student, Subsea Technology: Class of 2017 – 2020".

The” Best Student Subsea Technology Award” is usually handed out under the annual Underwater Technology Conference in Bergen, but due to its cancellation due to Covid-19 the award was handed out at a summer lunch in Bergen organised by GCE Ocean Technology this week.

This is Benjamin

Benjamin is 26 years old and comes from the city of Bergen, Norway. He previously attended Bergen Maritime upper secondary school, specializing in offshore drilling and subsea equipment.

This led to an apprenticeship with cluster partner TechnipFMC, to become a Subsea Technician. After completing his certificate of apprenticeship, Benjamin worked with TechnipFMC as a technician; both onshore and offshore.

– I remember during my time as an apprentice, my dad used to tell me that upon completion of the certificate it would be beneficial to go back to school for an engineering degree, Benjamin tells us.

– I didn’t disagree, he continues - but it is tough to decline a good job offer within your field of interest. The downturn in the oil industry complicated the situation for many companies and employees. I figured out this was the time to get back to school. My interest towards subsea was still great; it was no doubt that Subsea Technology would be the right option for me, says Benjamin.

The Ocean as a Hobby

Benjamin’s personal interest is also related to the ocean and especially likes to sail and go fishing.
During the summer of 2018, he joined a sailboat, sailing the Norwegian coast, and he told us that lessons from that trip really helped him understand the laws of physics in real-life situations.

Good relations among fellow students have been very important during the time at HVL, Benjamin Mikkelsen

During his studies, he was also a member in the student association Bunnsolid for two years where he actively contributed with arranging social events and gatherings.

Worthy Winner

– Benjamin is a deserving prize winner. In addition to very good grades and his dedicated attitude, we learn that he has also shown great academic skills and an open-minded personality, says Owe Hagesæther, CEO of GCE Ocean Technology, who award the price to contribute to a good study and learning environment.

Tone Røkenes is the Assistant Professor and Benjamin’s Student Coordinator at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL). She has followed Benjamin for three years and describes Benjamin this way:

– One of his main strengths is that he is always seeking results he can be proud of. However, the most important skill is that Benjamin is a very caring person who always has a positive attitude when it comes to situations both in a social and an academic context. Benjamin has also been a student assistant in Material Science. This position shows that Benjamin was very helpful and dedicated to his study programme. When he had this role, he demonstrated an excellent rapport with his fellow students and the lecturers were very happy with his work.

He is a very worthy winner of this price, Røkenes concludes.