De Montfort University Leicester (DMU)’s Vice-Chancellor channelled the energy of Premier League table-toppers Leicester City to whip up the crowds at this morning’s graduations.
Professor Dominic Shellard referred to the Foxes record-breaking striker Jamie Vardy in a speech that had graduates, their families and staff clapping, laughing and cheering as the party atmosphere and celebrations got under way on the final day of DMU’s winter graduations.
He said the audience should recreate the famous atmosphere of the King Power stadium as if City’s number 7 had just scored the goal to clinch the Premier League title.
And the cheers continued as Momodou Sallah – named the most inspirational teacher in higher education today by the influential Times Higher Education – took to the stage to deliver an address to graduands.
This morning it was the turn of graduates from the School of Allied Health Sciences and the School of Applied Social Sciences to collect their degrees.
Audiology students Georgina Fellas, Lucianne Smith and Clary Wong have already landed jobs after being hired during their placement years.
Georgina Fellas, who is at James Paget Hospital in Great Yarmouth, said: “I think the friends that I made on my course got me through it without the support of them and my family. We have made such good friends here.”
Clary, now working in Norwich, added: “We have enjoyed DMU so much. In our second year we worked with DMU Square Mile to give free hearing tests to the public, getting training from third years and using the sound equipment on campus.”
Mark Beeby has had a busy time – not only was his studying for his community justice degree, he also managed to get married and become a dad. He said: “The degree has been challenging but it’s been exciting and fun.” He’s now a full-time probation officer in Nottingham.
Antonios Sardalos is starting work in the caring industry after qualifying in Health Psychology. He said: “it has been spectacular. The staff at DMU were more down to Earth than at my previous university, they were close to the students and gave us a sense of community.”
Laura Bradbury collected her Graduate Diploma in Criminal Justice by distance learning and is now a full-time probation officer with the Youth Offending Service at Friar Lane, Leicester.
She said: “The tutors were absolutely brilliant. Although it was a distance learning course and we were only in the university once every six weeks, it did not feel like it. DMU made you felt really well supported.”
Health Studies graduate Yvonne Young only gave birth to baby Theo two weeks ago but was back for her graduation ceremony: “I’m over the moon today,” she said.
Posted on Thursday 28 January 2016