Graduations kicked off in spectacular style today as students from the Faculty of Business and Law became the first to graduate from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU)’s winter ceremonies.
The graduations – which also mark the start of DMU’s 150th anniversary celebrations – were a joyous reunion for many students, some of whom had not seen each other since they finished exams last June.
“It’s good to be back,” said James Dillon, who graduated in Business and Management. “It did feel a bit odd at first but it’s been a chance to catch up with people I haven’t seen for ages and find out what they have been up to.”
James, who was chair of DMU Football and came to the university on a sports scholarship, has since moved to Essex and has landed a graduate role in London.
“My time at DMU has been wonderful, to be honest,” said Jay Nanudra, from Belgrave, who graduated in Accounting and now works as a company accountant for a clothing company. “The whole DMU community is so friendly and I had such a good time. I went on three overseas trips in three years, to Paris, Hong Kong and New York, and I played in DMU Cricket. I made some friends for life here.”
The friends she made at university was also the highlight for Payal Odedra, who graduated in Law today and is going on to study for her Legal Practice Course at DMU in September. “I made so many new friends in my class and we have become really close,” she said.
For Jen Walker, who got a distinction in MSc Marketing, today marked the end of five years of study at DMU. She completed her undergraduate degree and spent the past two years studying for a Master's while also holding down a full-time job.
She said: “I’ve been really lucky. I did a placement during my degree and afterwards they offered me a job, and then I was able to study for a Master’s too. It has been hard work but definitely worth doing. It’s helped my career and I have made some really good friends here.”
Evandro Martos de Silva, who volunteered as part of DMU Local while he was studying his Master’s degree, said: “I love DMU. It has given me so many opportunities and I have made such good friends here. It has been an incredible experience.”
Posted on Tuesday 21 January 2020