Karen Sheldrake

As a student at the Coleg Sir Gar in Wales, Karen Sheldrake can speak from experience when it comes to overcoming challenges in and outside the classroom. When she was diagnosed with cancer early in her Bachelor of Arts program, she made the decision to continue with her coursework in Social Care. Coleg Sir Gar instructors and tutors were incredibly supportive of Karen every step of the way, offering a variety of resources, including Turnitin, to ensure her success. With Turnitin, she was able to access assignments and information while in and out of the hospital, and meet deadlines for projects without needing to be present at the college.

“Turnitin allowed me to study regardless of location, accessing notes from tutors and also the ability to send in a draft when I was unable to physically be in class. [Turnitin’s] ease of use-- categorizing topics and having differentiated deadlines--resulted in me obtaining distinctions throughout my BA.”

For first-year students, Coleg Sir Gar offers informative materials on the severity of plagiarism and an Academic Study Skills course that teaches how to properly reference and cite. As an institution, it not only values academic integrity but the holistic education journey and wellbeing of its students, overall. Karen is now pursuing a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, where she hopes to someday teach students with learning disabilities at the higher education level.

“Personally. I feel I am lucky enough to have this opportunity to improve my future prospects, but I am also aware some students face adversity but show strength and resilience far greater than I can imagine. This award would be used as a symbol of hope for others that are in my position.”