Andrea Accison
Posted : 1st September 2010
When Andrea Accison first enrolled on a short course at Fircroft in 2007, no-one could have predicted that just three years later she would be travelling to the House of Lords in London to receive a prestigious national award.
Andrea, from Rubery in the West Midlands, initially came to Fircroft to brush up on her English and Maths skills. Andrea left school with no qualifications and had often thought about going back to college, but balancing work with the demands of motherhood left her with little time to do so.
It was only when her children grew older, and particularly when her eldest daughter starting asking for help with homework, that Andrea made the first step on what has becoming a life changing journey.
She says, “I felt helpless not being able to help! One of my friends had been to Fircroft and told me all about it. When I first came along for a look it just felt very friendly and informal. Even though I was nervous on my first course I soon felt comfortable and at ease. The staff were excellent, really supportive and it helped that many of the other students were in a similar situation to me, coming back into education for the first time in years.”
Andrea soon realised that, for her, short courses could be a stepping stone to something more. With the encouragement and advice of staff, she decided to apply for the full-time Access to Higher Education course. Although Andrea didn’t get on the course straight away, she used this as an opportunity to do volunteering at local youth projects before applying again the following year. “I was so pleased and relieved to get on the course the second time around, it made me even more determined to succeed. The course itself was tough but enjoyable. I soon became an expert at time management, juggling college work with looking after my two children!”
Andrea successfully completed the Access courses and impressed tutors and staff so much with her hard work and determination that the College nominated her for a prestigious national award. Each year the Helena Kennedy Foundation invites colleges from across the UK to put forward deserving students for the annual Helena Kennedy Awards. The awards aim to provide much needed support to students who have overcome significant obstacles, both financial and personal, to complete their further education.
Both Andrea and everyone at Fircroft were delighted when it was announced that she was of the successful award winners. Andrea was accompanied by one of her tutors at Fircroft, Ifemu Omari, to receive her award from Baroness Helena Kennedy at the House of Lords in November 2010. Part of the prize is a bursary providing financial support through higher education, and Andrea is now using this to help her complete a degree in Youth and Community Work at Newman University College, Birmingham. She aims to then go on and do a Masters – we wish her all the best!
