Award recipient completed degree while undergoing cancer treatment

A local woman who completed a degree at Athlone IT while undergoing treatment for breast cancer was presented with the President's Award last week. Mature student Bernie Carty graduated last week with a BSc in Environmental, Health and Safety Management degree. Half way through the degree, the Arcadia resident was diagnosed with breast cancer. Rather than walking away, she opted to persevere and complete her studies while undergoing treatment. "It was very challenging but my family and Athlone IT gave me great support throughout the whole process and I was able to complete my final exams in May. That was a huge personal achievement for me," she told the Westmeath Independent. Bernie was "honoured and humbled" to learn in recent weeks that she had been chosen as a recipient of the President's Award. She works as a safety officer with Oliver Carty Ltd, the Monksland-based pork and bacon processing company which was started by her father and is now managed by her brother, Ted. Bernie decided to continue her studies at AIT after she had completed a National Irish Safety Organisation (NISO) course. She dedicated her award to her family and, in particular, her late parents Oliver and Joan. "Regardless of what life threw at them, my parents would always persevere and deal with it as best they could. That is what I have tried to do also," she said.