Inspirational Prize Winner (2011)

Studying for my degree has opened up my eyes to a whole new world that now inspires me to learn, and be all that I can be. I have found out, that after many years away from formal education, it is never too late to develop yourself both mentally and spiritually, setting goals and reflecting upon whom you are.

I had to prepare myself for a new career away from the Services as I was due to retire in 2012. The easy option would have been to do nothing and see what happened, but I knew I could do more. Something was missing after such a long time in the same career, a new direction, I found that direction studying with Kaplan. When starting my course I was unsure what to expect; would I be good enough, would I struggle, how would I find the time and would I be disciplined enough to see it through? Very quickly I found that I was enjoyed the studying along with the research I carried out, I could do it but only with support at home. Perhaps more importantly, I was able to reflect upon the skills I had already gained through a life of experience, using education and reflection through the course. I was learning about an area that I had long been interested in, Criminal Justice, all with a new confidence.

However, I did not merely want to study myself I wanted to inspire some of the junior soldiers within my unit, but one step at a time. Firstly, I started this by encouraging them to look at education as a lifelong path to enhancement by attending short education courses. I have been fortunate with the support of my employer who was very receptive to the Work Based Learning Project. This has subsequently been incorporated into the training syllabus for new Civil Servant Geographic Specialists. I involved others around me to spread the word about learning and developing yourself through education.

Looking deeper into why I was studying I had long wanted to help people and put something into society, I had decided to become a Social Worker. The KOL degree will allow me to apply for an MSc in Social Work and give me a new career to aspire for.

Outside of the pride I have in studying, I have had a very personal accomplishment by inspiring someone extremely close to me, my wife. When we first met she was preparing to start her PhD, unfortunately this was put on hold as we travelled through my employment. My wife’s career then started when we returned to the UK, she subsequently qualified as a Probation Officer, giving me my interest in criminal justice. Through my experience with KOL, she has now decided to complete a PhD in criminal justice. I was always in awe of my wife’s lifelong educational achievement, now with her support I am going to achieve a similar level, she has been my edifying inspiration, and I hers.

Stuart Harris - Criminal Justice (Fda)
(Surrey, UK)