| By SARAH HARRISON Cambridge Evening News Friday May 14th 1999 Horsewoman wins adult learner prize |
 |
|
| IT took Janet Collins 40 years to
realise her dream, but she has been picked as the
College of West Anglia's Adult Learner of the
Year. The college chose Janet after she proved that at 61 she was just as capable as any 16 year-old student. When Janet was 16 she wanted a career with horses, but time and money meant her ambition could not become reality. It took her until she was 61, and retired, to go back to college full-time to study for a National Diploma in Horse Studies. Janet, from Great Lane, Reach, attends the college's Milton centre every day. It was her determination, dedication and commitment to her course that persuaded judges to make her the winner. "I knew that one day I would make my ambition happen," she said. "I found a new me. Not only have I restored my self-confidence but I have acquired new skills." A former head of English at the Manor School in Cambridge, Janet said her arthritis has meant she has not been able to do all the things she has wanted to do, but that is not stopping her now. She hopes to go on to work with horses and to take up carriage driving. Her award coincides with the start of Adult Learners' Week on Monday, a UK-wide event held to give every adult, irrespective of age or ability, the opportunity to learn. |
||