News release: Brave Karen's got the will to win!

Abstract

When mature student Karen Beesley decided to go back to college, she knew it
wouldn't be easy finding a balance between family life and studying, but she was still
determined to tum her greatest interest into a possible future career.
Karen 32, from Thornton is also registered disabled, but this hasn't stopped her from
aiming for the top. She started studying at Preston College last year on a foundation
science course and so well did she perform that she was presented with a Partnership
Award at a recent ceremony at the University of Central Lancashire. The awards are
given to students at the University's partner colleges, who have managed to make
outstanding progress in the face of difficulty. Not only does Karen suffer from
Thrombocytopenia Absent Radius (TAR) Syndrome, but she was also pregnant with her
second child when she completed her final college assignment.
Karen is now mum to Harrison, 4 and Darrianne, 6 months and well into her first year
of study on a degree in Police and Criminal Investigation at the University in Preston.
She's even something of a media star. A team from Granada TV have recently finished
filming a documentary which follows students in the University's Forensic and
Investigative Science Department throughout their first year of study. Karen and
partner Bill Westhead decided to tie the knot earlier this year and were captured on
camera by the film crew. Hopefully they' ll be on our screens in September!
As far as the future is concerned, Karen is intending to make a career in the area of
crime scene management. Husband Bill is with her all the way.
"As soon as I saw the details for this degree, I could see Karen doing it", he says.
"She's very intuitive and can always work out the plot of a thriller well in advance!"
8 May 2003
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Note to Editors: Digital image attached - Karen Beesley with husband Bill and
children Harrison and Darrianne at Awards Ceremony. For more information, please
contact Pam Culley, Media & Public Relations, University of Central Lancashire, tel:
01772 894425.