A DEGREE OF CHANGE FOR FIRST CLASS ANDREA

23 July 2004

A DEGREE OF CHANGE FOR FIRST CLASS ANDREA A return to education resulted in a first class degree and a passion for academia, for Edge Hill graduate Andrea Johnson. Andrea, 35, now resident in Ireland but originally from Anfield, accepted her first class BSc (Hons) in Information Systems at a ceremony at Lancaster University and is looking forward to taking a PhD at Cork University College.

At school Andrea was keen to take her studies further, but due to family circumstances had to leave early. It was when she reached her thirties that she decided to follow her heart, embarking on an access to higher education course at Wirral Metropolitan College, with a view to eventually become a teacher.

Andrea said: "I visited Edge Hill as an access studies student and was very impressed with the staff I met there. They really inspired me to take up the course and it was then that I decided Edge Hill would be my first choice to study. Nothing was too much trouble and I can?t speak highly enough of the academic staff, who supported me all the way, despite having to recover from surgery in my last year of study."

Andrea?s passion for academia developed as an undergraduate and she?s now planning to direct her research towards developing worldwide digital archive services.

Andrea said: "I think everyone has the right to access their own history. The research I intend to develop combines my love of history and information systems and should help people all over the world trace their origins. I?m so glad that I took up the opportunity to return to education to explore my potential, especially in research. It?s a very exciting time for me. " ENDS EDITOR?S NOTES: For further press information please contact: Roisin Rowley-Smith PR Manager Tel: 01695 584509 Fax: 01695 584355 E mail: rowlesr@edgehill.ac.uk or pressoffice@edgehill.ac.uk