Last updated 06:35, Sunday, 16 November 2008

TWO dedicated Furness students have seen their commitment to higher education rewarded at a university ceremony.

• View more pictures...

RECOGNITION: Furness College students John Burgess and Jane Hillbeck, who each received a Tim Curtis Partnership Award from UCLan

TWO dedicated Furness students have seen their commitment to higher education rewarded at a university ceremony.

Jane Hillbeck and John Burgess have won prizes at the Tim Curtis and Partnership Awards for their outstanding progress as students at Furness College.

The University of Central Lancashire holds the event every year in celebration of the success of its partner college students and the Partner College Network.

It is a lasting tribute to Tim Curtis, a former deputy director of the university who was instrumental in establishing UCLan’s Partnership College Network and who believed in taking learning to the learners.

Mum-of-two Jane was rewarded for work towards a Foundation Degree in Early Years, which she completed part-time over three years. She received a distinction.

The 35-year-old from Barrow is now studying a BA (Hons) in children, school and family as a top-up, part-time over two years at UCLan.

She said: “I feel really proud. I was really, really surprised. It’s lovely, I think everyone deserves an award. We all worked hard.”

She started the foundation degree a year after the death of her partner, father of her children.

She said: “I feel lucky to have such fantastic family support. It is because of my family that I managed to complete the degree.

“I was at the pit of despair, but for the sake of my children I picked myself up and dusted myself off.

“I started my degree for my children so I can get a good job.

“It teaches them you have to work hard, do well at school, and if mum can go to university, you can do it.”

During her degree Jane’s son was recognised with having ADHD and later autism.

Jane said her family and her college tutors were always there to support her. She said: “It’s difficult to balance study while juggling having children and a house.

There were hurdles that made the juggling harder. My tutors John Binns and Ann Binns were great.

“They were supportive and understanding.”

Jane is interested in the youth justice system and would like to help young people who don’t have a supportive family background.

Her personal tutor, John Binns, nominated her. He said: “Jane has demonstrated a marked commitment to her studies. Her levels of self confidence have soared during her three years of study at Furness College to the extent that she is now progressing to the third year at UCLan.

“All her tutors speak very highly of her commitment, enthusiasm and work ethic, which she will continue on her progression to the honours degree course at UCLan.”

John Burgess was an award winner because of his improvement and commitment on his HNC mechanical engineering course.

The 25-year-old is a BAE Systems quality control inspector, who is moving into a nuclear engineering post at the shipyard.

He is continuing his study at Furness College with a two-year BEng degree in mechanical engineering, accredited by UCLan.

He will study at college one day a week and also at evening class.

John, who gained distinctions, was surprised by the award.

He said: “I feel really good. I was quite surprised to get it. It’s good because it makes you feel that all the hard work has paid off and you have done well.

“It’s quite hectic at the moment starting the BEng.”

John’s HNC coursework designing a boat trailer was described as “superb”.

He said: “It was designed from scratch. I did the testing and costing. It was a big project. It was a lot of hard work.”

John joined BAE from Walney School as an apprentice pipe fitter and served his time. In 2004 he was made redundant so he contracted for a year in Middlesbrough.

He returned to the yard in 2005 as a pipe fitter and then got a job in quality control. BAE Systems funded his HNC.

John said in the run up to his HNC exams he revised with friends. He also thanked his family and college tutors.

Ken Seddon, curriculum manager for technical engineering, nominated John.

He said: “John Burgess is clearly the most improved student on the HNC Mechanical course this year. His project coursework can simply be described as being superb. The attention to detail is outstanding.

“His own personal work ethic and approach to work has improved quite considerably. John is an individual who needs to work hard to achieve and this is something that he is entirely prepared to do.

“These reasons, together with John's significant progress this year, make him an entirely worthy candidate for this award.”

Jane and John each received a certificate and £200 at the ceremony in Preston.

UCLan’s Partnership Network was the first to be established.