“He believed that any further education was wasted on a girl,” Suzi tells us.
Intent on proving her father wrong and continuing her studies, Suzi attended a local technical college to study her A-Levels in Chemistry, Geology and Geography. Yet, she continued to face more barriers.
“I was one of only two girls in the Chemistry class and the lecturer in the Geology class refused to accept me because I was a girl. Both subjects lost their appeal quite quickly! I gained an A-Level in Geography but sadly missed out on my History A-Level down to just a few marks. Due no doubt to sitting the History paper in two terms rather than two years!”After college, Suzi decided to move to London and began working as an air hostess – a role Suzi enjoyed but didn’t find quite as challenging as she’d hoped. So she set her sights on a brand-new challenge.
'The OU was a life saver'
“After my children were born and attending primary school, I felt I needed a greater challenge and from the moment The Open University was announced I was interested,” says Suzi.
“I had always wanted to become an author but knew this was a difficult and not very financially viable option. So in the mid-1970s I got a place on the OU Arts Foundation Course and was delighted, particularly as the course was so diverse.”
"No one warned me what huge amount of stamina and hard work would be required. Yet with a small child who was disabled, studying did wonders for my self-esteem. It was a life saver. It took eight years, slowly, slowly before in 1983 I was finally awarded a B.A Hons after studying many modules."
Suzi and her family at her degree ceremony in 1983.
Fulfilling a childhood dream
After hoping to use her studies to become a travel writer, Suzi was thrilled to be invited to write the brochure for a Greek tour operator while she was still studying. It was the first step to what would become a long career and soon, Suzi founded her own tour operations company, which she happily ran with her husband for 25 years.
Despite this, there was still one dream that the insistent Suzi had her heart set on:
“When we sold the business and retired, I realised that I could finally fulfil my dream and become an author. I wrote and published eight historical novels entitled ‘The Greek Letters Quartet’. They embrace European history from the mid-19th century to the millennium. There is no doubt that these books drew heavily on the books and courses I had studied during my years with the OU.”Looking back, Suzi believes her decision to study over forty years ago has absolutely changed her life.
“Now as an 80 year old, I am convinced that completing the OU B.A. Hons Degree in my forties absolutely allowed me to feel fulfilled in life, intellectually, and financially more secure. Without the OU I would not have gone on to develop two well-respected businesses or to indulge my quest to be a writer.”