After running a painting business for 35 years, James Hoy decided to take up studying a Bachelor of Arts, despite thinking he might not make it through the first semester.

“This is my very first time studying, but I have always had the sense that, had my circumstances been different, I could have gone to university,” James says.

Despite James' initial apprehension, he has flourished and is now a tutor for Walanga Muru and his academic success landed him on the Dean’s Merit List.

He says he dived in head-first to study and campus life because he hadn’t had the chance to have the experience earlier in his life: “Because I had never been to university, it was important to me to actually attend university and take in the whole experience that I missed out on when I was younger.

“I am considering staying on to do a Masters and may even try for a PhD. My interest is in the intersection of art and politics and a rich period for this research is the Renaissance. This thought only appeared on the horizon with my unexpected success.”

Modern history, philosophy and English literature may sound unrelated to the painting industry, but James says he has found some unexpected connections between his Arts studies and work.

“I have found that life’s experience definitely has a value when it comes to making conceptual connections, essay writing and study generally,” James says.

“In turn, learning how to make an argument has allowed me to secure money, get people to accede to my requests more easily and generally my confidence has grown.

“My creativity for ideas has been enhanced and I feel like my potential is being realised.”