Following our announcement about our Keith Fletcher Award Nominations, we are thrilled to share the news that our nominee Michael Allport has been named runner-up in the Outstanding Academic Achievement category.
“I am so pleased that such a deserving learner has been recognised for his outstanding work ethic and achievement. Michael has embraced the value that an Access to HE course can bring and it’s rewarding for me knowing that his determination and dedication to succeed is being celebrated.” – Sarah Doe, Access to HE Quality Manager, Gateway Qualifications
We caught up with Michael following the announcement of the winners:
“I’m feeling excited! I arrived home from university, picking up my partner on the way, to find a letter informing me of the news – we celebrated with drinks!”
Since finishing his Access to HE Diploma (Science with Mathematics) at Colchester Institute, Michael has been studying BSc Science at the University of Essex.
“I’m starting to knuckle down into an area I had always wanted to. Being able to understand the magic behind the screen of a computer is an exhilarating feeling. Going into the second half of the first year, my module complexity is increasing at a very fast rate, however the majority of my progress tests and assignments are scoring around 90% – the sense of achievement when the penny drops and you make the links of a complex subject can be exciting.”
“My Access to HE Diploma really helped prepare me for university. It gave me the skills I needed to learn – how to note-take academically, pick up on keywords and information, reference information. I’m succeeding in my course thus far which both Access and a strong determination has attributed towards.”
“If anyone has thought of going into higher education to change their career or for self-betterment but has had doubts, just grab the bull by the horns and look into Access to HE. The course structure and teaching were outstanding in starting my learning off again, and it’s never too late to go back into education if you have the passion and motivation.”
We spoke to Richard Farrar, Course Leader at Colchester Institute to see what he and the college thought about the good news:
“The Colchester Institute Access to HE Team was absolutely delighted to find out that Mike was named as runner-up in Outstanding Academic Achievement category of the Keith Fletcher awards. This is excellent news and a real testament to Mike’s talent and hard work to achieve so highly gaining distinctions in every unit he studied on his Access to HE Science and Maths Diploma. The pinnacle of his work was the production of his fabulous Extended Writing Project, an analysis of Autonomous Emergency braking systems (driverless car technology) and I am sure this helped convince the judges of Mike’s outstanding academic achievement. Mike represents everything that is brilliant about Access to HE: taking students who lack the formal entry qualifications to gain access to university, and providing them with exciting, stimulating learning opportunities to inspire change and create new opportunities. We are all very proud of Mike and his work.”
The Keith Fletcher Awards ceremony will be taking place on 24th April. This will be a celebration of achievements for Access to HE students and providers, and awarding the winners and runner-ups.