First-class Karen is a UHI role model

Young Highlander Karen Paterson has been named the Lews Castle College UHI student of the year after gaining a first class honours degree and landing herself a top job in the region.

Karen’s story is considered a model case for UHI Millennium Institute which is providing university-level education and vocational training through a network of colleges, research and learning centres across the Highlands and Islands.

UHI priorities include stemming the flow of young people from the region by giving them educational opportunities at home and creating a skilled and professional workforce to underpin the local economy.

Twenty-one-year-old Karen has lived in Oban all her life. She studied for her BSc honours in rural development studies through Lews Castle College UHI (LCC) on the Isle of Lewis, but was based near home at the Dunstaffnage learning centre of Argyll College UHI. Her studies were conducted almost entirely online.

Now she has become the education officer for ALIenergy, the Argyll, Lomond and the Islands Energy Agency, a charitable organisation which helps local communities to benefit from energy efficiency and renewable energy schemes.

Karen, of Longsdale, Oban, won her student of the year title, and a £100 prize, for exceptional academic and personal achievement.

LCC principal David Green said: “She began her degree studies as a 17-year-old school leaver and started work within days of her final exam, attending an energy industry conference that very week. Karen is now actively involved in the future development of our local communities – a model example for the course, UHI, LCC and our distance learning programmes. We are very proud of her.”

Karen explained: “I applied for courses at other universities, but could not see myself doing them for four years and I was concerned about the costs involved. It would have been tough. Then my mum suggested UHI and we went along to the Dunstaffnage centre for information. The rural development course caught my eye and I signed up for it.

“I did it entirely online, with some video conferencing and audio classes, although the tutors were always on hand to help me. This study method enabled me to be independent and I got myself a part-time job at Tesco so I was learning and earning at the same time. A lot of my friends left home for university and I’m glad I don’t have their student debts.

“The experience has stood me in good stead because I am now working in a job which requires a lot of do-it-yourself motivation.”

Her tasks at ALIenergy will include running workshops and competitions at primary schools on energy efficiency, renewable energy and climate change. Karen is also planning to expand her work into secondary schools and to run a solar car challenge in the near future.

“Everything has worked out really well for me. I’m in a great job that I really enjoy. All my family and friends are in Argyll and Bute – I’ve lived here all my life and didn’t really want to leave.  If it wasn’t for UHI, I may have had no choice.”

Karen has now been nominated by LCC for the overall UHI student of the year title and will face competition from the other local winners of the partner colleges and centres. The winner will be presented with an additional £150 at the prestigious UHI Annual Lecture 2007 at Blair Castle, Perthshire, in September.

ENDS