A MUM-OF-THREE did not expect to be applying for university at the age of 52, but she is dong just that after being inspired by her studies.   

Kerry Kosak has a lifelong passion for textiles and decided to do the Foundation art and design course at Barrow Sixth  Form College for her own personal development. 

But two years into her part-time studies, with a broader skill set she is now confident in her own skills to achieve a degree and wants to encourage other would-be mature students to do the same. 

A former deputy divisional manager at Victim Support she has had a range of jobs in the criminal justice system to fit around her family including working as a police officer. 

Mrs Kosak of Dalton said: “I’ve always had a love of textiles and artistic things and I thought ‘why not?’ The course covers mixed media not just painting, photography, printing on paper and material, which I love, and looking at different styles of printing. We’ve just finished 3D and I really enjoyed melting plastic to create textiles.

“I left school in 1979 and then, if you couldn’t draw, you couldn’t do art so I never chose art at school. The only thing I did was dressmaking. In that respect I’ve found the course challenging because I am playing catch up with the other students but my drawing skills have improved – it can be taught and with a lot of practise it can be improved.” 

The BTEC Foundation Diploma in Art and Design is a one-year post A-Level course to prepare students for entry to degree-level art and design programmes. It is a fast-paced curriculum designed to develop conceptual and practical skills so students can make the most of a university course. But when she started the course, Mrs Kosak said the last thing she expected was to apply to university. 

She said: “I’d not really thought about what studying might lead to but when I was watching all the younger students apply for university I thought I’d like to do that and there is no reason why I couldn’t. In attending university I will achieve a lifelong ambition of learning in-depth about a subject I love.” 

With support from her husband, Steve, and family she is now applying to study a textiles degree in Edinburgh or Huddersfield. She is a member of The Sealed Knot association and creates historical costumes for re-enacting battles. She also won a Cultural Achievement Millennium Award to create costumes to help children learn about social history and has a collection on display in the Dock Museum, which is used for educational workshops. She hopes to inspire other mature students to join the course. 

“The tutors are full of enthusiasm and they want to do their best for you so they push you to achieve your best. It has been fun, the class we have is great and they just accept me. I joke about being the oldest but it’s not a problem at all. 

“By doing this course, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain - even if you are just doing it for your own personal development. You don’t have to want to get a job or go to university after it. Coming to learn has its own satisfaction.”