Beechcliffe mother-of-two Beverley Barr has made academic history.

She has become the first Keighley College student to receive the prestigious new Stage 3 RSA diploma, the highest level of secretarial award.

Bev started at the college, on the secretarial business administration course, in 1996.

She says: "I had always worked in catering but when my daughter started school I thought it was an ideal time to try something new. The flexible programme offered by the college allowed me to attend 15 hours a week and still look after my children.

"The college tutors were very friendly and started from basics. I had never even seen a computer keyboard yet I found, with the right help and support, that I picked it up very quickly."

After a successful first year of study, Bev returned to college as a part-time student passing advanced examinations in word processing and audio transcription to gain her RSA diploma. She now works for the Keighley Childcare Information Centre in Devonshire Street.

Stephaney Linley, the college's assistant faculty manager with responsibility for IT training, says: "Bev's hard work and excellent performance is a shining example of what can be achieved."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.