By 
AN inspirational Killyman woman, who became a fully-qualified bookkeeper in less than six months of studying despite battling a chronic health condition, has been awarded ‘Student of the Year’.
Denise Gibson was awarded with the accolade by the ‘Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB)’ in London earlier this month as part of the ‘ICB LUCA Awards’ for 2023 – an event heralded as ‘the Oscars of the bookkeeping world’.
What’s more, is that the local lady, with the help of Ideal Schools Bookkeeping College, achieved an exemplary average of 99 per-cent across her nine exams.
Undergoing this admirable change of career in her 40s, Denise is now a fully qualified certified bookkeeper, with a remote job in an ICB-licensed bookkeeping firm.
ICB chief executive, Ami Copeland, who presented Denise with the award, described her story as ‘a wake-up call to anyone who is out there looking for the career of their dreams but worrying they’re too old or too ill to do it’.
“It’s also worth noting the incredible grades,” Ami added. “I wish Denise every success and look forward to seeing where her great attitude and determination will take her next.” Praising Denise, the judges stated, “Denise has achieved a lot in a short time. Living with some ‘inconvenient health conditions’, as she describes them, Denise has created a positive future for herself with the help of ICB and Ideal Schools.”