Gateway Qualifications is proud to announce that we have nominated two Access to HE students for the Keith Fletcher Memorial Prize 2022-2023.
Outstanding Academic Achievement
In the category for Outstanding Academic Achievement, Ayse Hasoglu, an Access to HE Nursing and Midwifery student at Hertford Regional College, stood out from a compelling group of nominations. We are delighted to have chosen Ayse to put forward for the national event.
Ayse felt uncertain about her abilities due to past educational experiences, doubting whether she could achieve her goal of becoming a midwife. She even considered a slightly different path in nursing. Despite this, Ayse refused to settle, determined to realise her ambitions, and wholeheartedly committed to her studies – and every single effort paid off.
Asye worked into the night, attended every class, carried out exceptional independent research, and learned how to insert the knowledge gained effectively into her work. All this while skilfully balancing a full-time job and caring for a young family.
Asye asked questions and actioned all feedback but did not rely on this alone. She was proactive in her learning, showed absolute dedication to maintaining the high standards she set herself, and overcame every barrier in her way.
Julia Anderson, Ayse’s tutor at Hertford Regional College, said: “To know that Ayse met her University offer and is studying BSc (Hons) Midwifery at the University of Hertfordshire fills us with pride. And to hear that she is enjoying it is amazing!”
Outstanding Commitment to Study
In the category for Outstanding Commitment to Study, we are excited to have nominated Stacey Rust, an Access to HE Health Professions student at Norfolk County Council Adult Learning. Stacey absolutely epitomises what an Access to HE student is, demonstrating her dedication to realise and achieve her goals.
Stacey joined Adult Learning five years ago with the determination to start a career as a speech and language therapist.
Starting from scratch with no qualifications, and as a single mother, dedication to her studies was tough.
Stacey took one GCSE each year until she achieved the four needed for university entry: English language, maths, biology, and psychology. Following these achievements, she enrolled onto Access to HE Health Professions. She has now progressed to study BSc in Speech and Language Therapy at the University of East Anglia.
Stacey said: “The Speech and Language Therapy course is challenging. There are times when I think can I do this? Who would want me as their speech and language therapist? Instead of admitting defeat, I smile in the face of adversity. Being able to help a stroke survivor communicate with their partner gives me a sense of purpose because I know I would have made a difference in someone’s life.”
Winners will be announced on the 22nd of January.