People of all ages are celebrating success
PEOPLE of all ages are celebrating success after graduating from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD).
Among them are mother and son Suzy Preston-Joch and Kai Preston-Cowell from Carmarthen.
Both are celebrating graduating with first-class honours degrees from the BA youth and community work programme.
They say that studying together was a unique and enriching experience and they now have plans to undertake a local youth project together.
Suzy left school in 1981 and before joining the degree course she had worked for most of her life with children and young people as a nanny.
“Despite my years of experience with young people, I had no professional qualifications to prove my knowledge and experience, so I decided to work towards gaining a degree in youth and community that focuses on children and adolescent development and youth empowerment,” she said.
Kai joined the same course because he has always enjoyed helping others and supporting people but had not been able to see how to turn this into a job opportunity.
Then one of his new neighbours, who was a level 6 youth and community student at the time, spotted his youth working potential and recommended that he look into the course.
“Due to having experienced some adversity in my life, as well as wanting to work in a sector that helps and promotes young people, I felt that this course was meant for me and decided to enrol at UWTSD,” he said.
Suzy and Kai both quickly realised they had found their niche.
“I found the experience of going to university as an older person both exciting and eyeopening and found studying the same degree alongside my son both rejuvenating and unique,” said Suzy.
“Learning and working together has been both a wonderful personal and professional experience that has further strengthened our already strong bond and relationship.”
Kai agrees that the experience of studying together was a hugely positive one.
“Although studying at university is an amazing experience in its own right, having studied the same course alongside my mother was even more unique,” he said.
“Being able to bounce youth work ideas and theories off each other and fact-check each other was not only beneficial to our studies, but also helped us understand each other better due to having looked back and analysed our past experiences through reflective practice.
“As much as finding ways of rewording the similar topics, looking for alternative references for assignments and ensuring we avoided plagiarising each other added to the daily stresses, it also enhanced our wider reading, made us both more professional and helped us to see things in different and often more beneficial lights.”
Meanwhile, Kelly Lewis-Bennett is celebrating gaining a Certificate of Higher Education (Cert HE) in social enterprise management at Carmarthen Business School, having used her studies to benefit her work with a social enterprise.
Kelly now aims to return to the university in September to start another course. This is a big step for a student who previously lacked confidence in her academic ability.
“I decided to study social enterprise and management to gain knowledge to help me in my role with the social enterprise I’m involved with,” she said.
“It was a huge risk for me as I didn’t enjoy school when I was younger and left without any qualifications, so I wasn’t sure I would be able to manage or cope academically in university.
“Having said that, it was one of the best decisions I have made, and I hadn’t realised until then how much I love learning.
“Studying at Carmarthen Business School has completely changed the way I think; it has given me so much confidence within myself and that is all down to the support that I have received from my lecturers and classmates throughout the year.”
The social enterprise Kelly works with is the Baton Twirling Association Cymru, BTAC. It aims to develop the sport of baton twirling throughout Wales and ensure Wales has representation at international events and competitions.
Kelly is one of the directors with the role of fundraising and new business co-ordinator.
“The university was extremely supportive of my responsibilities with regards to my role at the association, especially in allowing me some time off so that I was able to attend an international event with the team,” she says.
“Although juggling the two could be challenging at times, I was able to find a balance between my work responsibilities and my studies.”
She is delighted that her studies created multiple opportunities to benefit the BTAC, including an online learning app that enables its members to access training opportunities and videos.
“This has proved to be an essential tool with the current coronavirus pandemic,” she says. “It was first designed to ensure that all children and young adults, especially those living in rural areas, would be able to access video tutorials and be able to take advantage of learning a new and exciting sport.”
Kelly’s tutor, Jess Shore, is hugely impressed with her achievements, adding: “Kelly has had an incredible year, it has completely transformed her confidence.
“She was very nervous at the start, but she has certainly made up for that now.
“She has applied her learning this year to her own enterprise and as a result they were able to react to the Covid-19 crisis.”