Alumni
Celebrating 50 Years of the College of Ripon and York St John (CRYSJ)
Explore the evolution of CRYSJ's legacy and discover how you can contribute to its future.
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In 1974, Ripon College and St John’s College in York faced a dilemma: How could they survive with a planned reduction in teacher training places?
By the end of the year, their plan to reunify as the College of Ripon and York St John (CRYSJ) finally received government approval. They had until September 1975 to complete the amalgamation, including unifying two campuses, finalising new courses, and recruiting students to a new college experience.
When CRYSJ opened its doors in Ripon and York in September 1975, they couldn’t have imagined that generations of students would study under the same College basis. Over the years, the name of the College might have slightly changed, but CRYSJ remained at its core until the closure of our Ripon campus in 2001.
The 2024 to 2025 academic year marked 50 years since the process of amalgamation began. To celebrate this milestone, we invited alumni who studied at the College of Ripon and York St John to celebrate their College memories.
Bringing back student memories
Over 350 alumni joined our CRYSJ Yearbook to celebrate their student memories and what they’ve achieved since completing their courses. It was fantastic to see so many alumni get involved, and we hope that everyone who purchased a yearbook enjoys it for many years to come.
A copy of the CRYSJ Yearbook has been donated to our University Archive to showcase the importance of this year’s milestone, and the fantastic memories and achievements of our alumni.
Celebrating our past
In 2024, we designed a new badge to celebrate the CRYSJ 50 year anniversary. Incorporating the original College logo, the CRYSJ Celebration badge was sold over 200 times! Over 60% of each badge sale was donated to our CRYSJ Prize fund, raising an amazing £1190.
If you didn’t have chance to buy a badge in in 2025, all remaining badges will be sold in early 2026. All money raised from the final sale of these badges will be donated to our alumni-funded scholarships to support current students.
Lisa Biomedical Science
I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the generous donors who made this award possible. Your support not only recognises student achievement, but also inspires us to continue striving for excellence in our studies and future careers. Thank you for investing in students like me and for helping to make opportunities like this a reality.
Cameron Publishing MA
I would like to say a big thank you to the donors for wanting to recognise students work and contributions to university life. It means a lot to know that York and beyond has donors who want to celebrate student success, and continue the important work that the university does into the future.
Lisa Primary Education with QTS
As someone who returned to education with limited self-belief, this recognition means a great deal to me. It serves as a reminder that my efforts have been acknowledged and that I am capable of achieving my goals. Thank you for your generosity and for investing in students like me. Your support inspires me to continue striving for excellence and to give back to my community in the future.
Support us
Our alumni-funded scholarships support students to continue their studies with us. A scholarship can make the difference between a student leaving University and continuing their studies.
You can find out more about how alumni can support our current students on our Support us pages.
