Graduation ceremonies shine spotlight on achievement and dedication of Kingston University students

Posted Monday 15 January 2018

The hard work and dedication of Kingston University students has been highlighted in a series of graduation ceremonies at Kingston's Rose Theatre. More than 1,500 undergraduate, postgraduate and research students from four faculties celebrated completing their degrees crossing the stage to begin the next chapter of their lives as Kingston University graduates.

The excitement of the new graduates reverberated around the Rose Theatre, with each recipient given a rousing cheer and round of applause from staff, family and friends as they crossed the stage. Marina Loterijman, an International Human Recourses Management MSc graduate, who received her degree this week, said she had found amazing friends at Kingston University and learned a lot that she had already put in to practice in her career.

The ceremonies are a high point in the University's calendar with the whole community sharing the excitement and joy of the students seen all over the town centre. Graduates can be spotted posing for pictures by the river, eating with their family and friends at restaurants and making sure they look the part as they prepare to receive their degrees in specially selected outfits showing beneath their robes.

Family plays an incredibly important part in the lives of many students studying towards a postgraduate degree. Trista Manand graduated with a Masters in Pharmaceutical Science. "I was most looking forward to going on stage to collect my qualification and share it with my family. I have a 12-year-old son who is with me and has been on every step of the journey with me. It hasn't been easy and I can't believe I'm here today," she said.

Psychology graduate Natasha Bangure reflected on the friendships she had made while studying. "The best thing about my time at Kingston University is that I have made lifelong friends from a lot of different countries. I now have a network of connections with people doing really exciting things all over the world," she said.