A battle to beat adversity left one Angus student battered and bruised when she returned to class after major facial surgery.
Rosie Letham, who received the George Matheson Award at Dundee and Angus College’s ‘advanced students’ prizegiving ceremony in Arbroath, endured life-changing surgery in February right in the middle of the final year of her HND animal care course.
Surgeons warned the Montrose resident that she could be out of college for up to six weeks after undergoing an operation to re-align her jaw bones.
The Montrose Academy former pupil had both her upper and lower jaw broken then re-set in a bid to correct a highly-troublesome disproportionate jaw relationship.
“After years in braces to combat an extreme overbite, orthodontic experts advised me that I should have surgery in a bid to re-align my jaws,” said Rosie, who celebrated her 21st birthday last week.
“I was warned that I would look like the victim of a baseball bat attack after the operation and wouldn’t be able to eat properly so would probably be out of circulation for six weeks.”
Despite a diet of only soup and yogurt, the student could not bear sitting doing nothing and was back in class less than two weeks after her operation.
“I might have looked a mess and had to endure some stares and glances from curious onlookers but it was better than sitting bored at home,” said Rosie.
Being an impatient patient paid off as she proved an A-grade student, who is now aiming for a career in veterinary nursing.
Another student at the event was Arbroath resident Corey Pinder, who achieved HND sports coaching and development this year.
The 20-year-old was presented with the Andrew Welsh MP, MSP, Provost of Angus Cup for outstanding personal achievement.
The former Arbroath Academy pupil has a long association with the college, having started going on the Skills For Work Programme one afternoon a week while at school.
Corey, who has dyslexia, became a student four years ago when he enrolled on the introduction to sports coaching programme and was impressed with the support he received.
“I spent four years as a full-time student, starting on the intro programme then progressing through NC, HNC and HND,” said Corey.
“The staff were brilliant and I didn’t just learn what was on the curriculum, I also learned life skills and so much more.”
The ceremony also saw apprentice joiner Colin Milne, of Guthrie, pick up his second award of the year, first place in the Scottish heat of the Skillbuild competition.
It was plain sailing for Colin as he was presented with the Arbroath Guildry Scholarship by Ian Ballantyne, dean of the Arbroath Guildry.
Colin is a third-year apprentice with Angus joinery firm JF Fitchet & Son and his presence at the prizegiving event dove-tailed neatly between his Skillbuild victory in Glasgow and representing Scotland at the UK finals in November.
Should the 23-year-old hammer his rival joiners in Birmingham, then he will board a plane for Brazil where the Worldskills competition is taking place next year.
A total of 25 students had their efforts rewarded at the prizegiving ceremony at the college’s Angus Centre for Enterprise.
From animal care to art, construction to computing, social science to sports, a range of advanced courses were represented.
College principal Christina Potter presented the prizes and was supported on stage by some of the sponsors.