Warwick Economics finalist selected for the Outstanding Student Contribution Award (OSCA) 2024

We congratulate a Warwick Economics finalist, Alex Reid (BSc Economics), who is one of the winners of the University's Outstanding Student Contribution Awards 2024 for demonstrating his entrepreneurial flair during his time at Warwick. The OSCAs recognise and celebrate the outstanding contributions of Warwick's students who not only excel academically, but also find the time to campaign for good causes, fundraise, start small business, and work with local charities.

In his second year, Alex got in touch to tell us about how he and two of his friends created a social media app called Butterfly, available to Warwick students, so that they could receive relevant content about campus life and feel connected to fellow students. We outlined the benefits of the app in the article Butterfly helps students spread their social wings, which was published in March 2023.

When we interviewed Alex then, he commented on his venture:

"We all felt that social media has lost its way - far from being social, these days it is about passive scrolling and the consumption of entertainment, often far removed from our own day to day lives."

Now, Alex has just finished his final year exams and is getting ready for his graduation on 23 July at which he will be receiving his Outstanding Student Contribution Award 2024.

We asked Alex how he felt about being awarded an OSCA and he said:

"Warwick is an amazing place to learn, connect, and innovate - I'm very grateful to have had these opportunities and be awarded the OSCA."

The app Butterfly is available in the AppStore and Google Play Store.