Press release
Summer School learners are walking on sunshine
Published on 30 July 2021
More than 200 University of Dundee learners celebrated the culmination of a summer of study after completing their path towards higher education.
Attendees of the University’s Access and Online Summer Schools were honoured after completing the six-and-a-half week programme, completing their path towards higher education, with others awaiting further results.
The initiatives provide intensive preparation and alternative routes into degree courses for students whose true academic potential is often masked by circumstance.
Dr John Blicharski, Course Director, said, “Every year I am thrilled to witness the dedication and determination of our Access Summer School students.
“Our class of 2021 have worked particularly hard. With Access Summer School having provided them with the necessary preparation and qualifications, they can now look forward to fulfilling their ambitions of attending university, overcoming challenges that of course include the pandemic.”
Since launching in 1993, the Access Summer Schools have helped around 3,000 students into higher education. The programmes have been cited nationally as an example of best practice, with the vast majority of students from this summer’s courses expected to return to the University as undergraduates in September.
An integral part of the Access Summer Schools is the hiring of current students as student mentors to support the new intake.
One of the students to complete this year’s course is Deema McGregor, from Lochore, Fife.
“I have been working full-time as a nursing auxiliary for the past few years,” said the 25-year-old.
“Although I was distance learning I had not been in full-time education since I was a teenager, so I thought Summer School would show me whether I was ready for the leap to university.
“My goals over the next few years are to start my degree in Adult Nursing. I hope to build on the knowledge and skills I have from my healthcare background and take it to the next level through my degree.
“I hope to graduate and move into a Staff Nurse role within the NHS. The Summer School has definitely given me a head start in this I feel and cannot wait to begin my journey to becoming Staff Nurse McGregor.”
ENDS