A former Access student from Gower College Swansea has been officially named as a runner-up in the annual Keith Fletcher Memorial Prize ceremony.
Karly Jenkins (second left), who studied Access to Social Welfare at the College before beginning her social work degree at Swansea University, will attend a special presentation event at The Palace of Westminster on 24 April.
It will be the second award given to Karly this year, as she was also the recent recipient of an Agored Cymru Access Learner of the Year Award, in the Outstanding Commitment to Study category.
After being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, it was Karly’s therapist who initially suggested adult learning as a way for her to regain some self-confidence.
“Karly’s story is truly remarkable,” says Gower College Swansea’s Curriculum Leader for Access programmes, Suzanne Arnold. “She lost both her parents at a young age, and has battled physical and mental health challenges including strokes while she was pregnant with her daughter and then a breakdown after the birth. But she has shown the most incredible resilience every step of the way.
“Karly saw coming to college as the chance to have a clean slate and she has no doubt that education helped to put her on the road to recovery. Everyone in the Access teaching team has been in awe at her courage and commitment. Karly now wants to support those who are in the position she was once in herself, she wants to help keep families together and enhance life expectations for vulnerable people.”
“She will make a wonderful social worker.”
Keith Fletcher worked for many years in the South West of England within its successive Access Validating Agencies (AVAs) and was a great supporter of Access to HE
Photo and video: Agored Cymru