STOCKPORT’S GRADUATES – BETTER BY DEGREES!

Stockport graduates celebrated with their family and friends in Stockport Town Hall to mark the end of their studies at the University Centre at Stockport College.

Pictured left: Foundation Degree Television graduands: Back Row: Course Lecturer Andrew Percival, James Hughes, Adam Robinson, Alex Kenny; Front Row: Abigail McIntyre, Didier Dubois, Georgie Hutton.

Pictured right: Sophie Mellor who graduated from Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector.

Welcoming graduates, guests and families to the ceremony, the University Centre’s Dean, Tina Sproson, highlighted successes over the course of the 2012/13 academic year, including the University Centre UK Quality Assured award last year.

She said:

“Our graduation ceremony is the culmination of a huge amount of hard work by our students, and it is tremendous to be able to celebrate their success with their parents, friends and guests.”

The evening, which was presented by Master of Ceremonies BBC Radio Manchester’s Mike Shaft, saw academics pay tribute to their hard work and presented the graduates with achievement and progression awards. Attended by over three hundred parents and friends the ceremony marked the end of the students’ time at the University Centre at Stockport College and provided the chance to reflect on their achievements.

         Before the official duties, students attended a pre-graduation ceremony
         party inside the College’s main campus where friends and families
         gathered to see MC Mike Shaft cut the celebration cake, made by the
         College’s head chef Carey Blewitt, (Pictured left) who also graduated
         with a Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector.

         The University Centre was proud to have special Guest Speaker
         Professor Kathryn Ecclestone, who joined the evening’s proceedings
         from the University of Sheffield.

         Kathryn addressed the guests, sharing with them how her Master’s
         and PhD opened her eyes wider to history, politics, literature,
         sociology and later on, philosophy.  The Professor of Education also
         said as she matured and worked with adults who hadn’t had those
         opportunities she had realised how much education provides people with a foundation for life.

The ceremony culminated in students being presented with certificates from Assistant Deans: Paul Proctor (Assistant Dean of Arts, Design & Media), Amanda Davis (Assistant Dean of Education and Applied Social Sciences) and Steve Kluczewski (Assistant Dean to Science Technical Engineering & Maths).

College Principal Stephen Carlisle said:

“The ceremony was a great celebration, marking the culmination of one or several years of work and a milestone and passage way to higher education. It was a pleasure to see the class of 2013 and their families take part in a wonderful ceremony.”

After receiving their certificates at a ceremony in the town hall’s striking ballroom setting, graduands, family and friends enjoyed a variety of canapés and refreshments.