Malvern Computing Student Awarded Prestigious Academic Scholarship

A Computing student from Malvern who returned to education to pursue a completely new career has been awarded a £1,000 scholarship in recognition of her academic success.

Kay Wesley, 27, who is in the third year of her Computing degree at the University of Worcester, was awarded the prestigious Academic Scholarship for consistently excellent performance in her studies.

“It means a lot and it’s a good confidence boost,” said Kay. “I remember thinking ‘imagine if I could get on and do a degree’, as it was a complete career change, so to have this award is a surprise!”

Kay said the financial element of her award will help towards bills, and she hopes to save some for a trip once she has finished her dissertation.

She said coming to university as a mature student was challenging at times: “Life definitely tried to get in the way a few times, and of course it is financially challenging, but it’s possible to get student loans and work alongside being a mature student, and the lecturers are very supportive.”

The University of Worcester has been named University of the Year for Graduate Jobs in the Daily Mail University Guide 2027, with judges describing a performance that ‘leaves many of the Russell Group in the shade’.

Kay’s final-year independent study focussed on different data visualisation techniques, and she hopes to work with data in the future.

The University of Worcester is this year shortlisted for the Outstanding Support for Students in the Times Higher Education Awards for the efforts of staff to raise money for student scholarships and hardship funds.

Professor David Green CBE, DL, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University, said: “Every year, thanks to the generosity of alumni, philanthropists and friends of the University, we are able to award academic scholarships to students who perform outstandingly well – typically gaining straight As across their studies. Achieving such excellent results consistently requires dedication, ability and sheer hard work.”

“All of us at the University are very proud of all our scholarship winners who come from across the range of our courses and from many backgrounds,” he added. “Every year this includes scholarship winners who are students who did not particularly excel at school but find that the intellectual and professional challenge of university combined with the expert education provided at Worcester brings out the very best in them.”