10-year milestone for pioneering Access Summer School
A former welder who is now studying Law at the University of Dundee, thanks to help from its pioneering Access Summer School, will be amongst the guests at a reunion on July 4 to mark the School's 10th anniversary.
Billy Watt is one of more than 750 students to have passed through the Access Summer School since it opened at the University's Wider Access Study Centre in 1993. Of the 96% who finished the course, 78% have immediately won a place at theUniversity of Dundee, while many others have taken up places at other higher or further education institutions. The Access Summer School's 2002 external examiner described the School as the best at what it does in these islands, stating, Dundee has continued its high standards and maintains its position as a national leader in widening access.
Originally from Glasgow, Billy spent 10 years working all over the country as welder but decided to change careers in order to spend more time with his wife and young son. He enrolled in the Access Summer School last year and, after winning an undergraduate place at the University of Dundee, has just finished his first year of a Law degree. Billy is also spending this summer as a student leader, offering advice and support to this year's intake of Summer School students.
He said, "Returning to education after 11 years was a terrifying thought, but the Access Summer School equipped me with the skills I needed to undertake a University degree course. I am now confident that I can complete my Law degree successfully and go on build a new career."
Two other former students joining Billy in thecelebrations will be Karen McGavock and Amanda Whitehead.
Karen, from Kirriemuir, left school with the Higher passes she needed to get into University, but found the Summer School experience invaluable in building the confidence, social base and study skills needed to gain a University degree. After attending the summer school in 1994, Karen won a place studying English and Education at the University and is currently working to complete a PhD at the University of Glasgow, as well as teaching part time at Angus College.
She said, "I enjoyed the Summer School immensely and it was an important stepping stone on my path into higher education. Not only was it invaluable in helping me develop my essay writing and study skills, I also met lots of others who were heading in the same direction as I was. The School gave me a firm foundation on which to build my future. Amanda, also from Arbroath, was unhappy in a dissatisfying college course but believed she had no other options after falling short of the grades she needed to win a place at university. After successfully completing the Access Summer School, Amanda graduated with an MA Honours degree in Philosophy from the University of Dundee in 1999 and now works in the Wider Access Study Centre. She said, "I heard about the Access Summer School, was lucky enough to be offered a place and subsequently passed. This opened the door to thesubjects I was better suited to studying, particularly philosophy. I feel I have come full circle. If it wasn't for the Access Summer School, I would not have entered university, got a good degree and now a full-time job helping others do the same!"
Speaking of the Summer School's achievements over the last 10 years, Dr John Blicharski, Director of the Wider Access Study Centre, said, "Higher Education in Scotland has a long tradition of helping people, regardless of their background, grow into successful graduates. Since 1993, the Access Summer School has made a substantial contribution in providing a route for those held back by adversity to prepare and then thrive at theUniversity of Dundee, thus opening the door to a brighter future for nearly 800 disadvantaged new undergraduates who might otherwise takes years to catch up with their more privileged peers."
By Jane Smernicki, Press Officer 01382 344768 j.m.smernicki@dundee.ac.uk