Keeping it in the Kingston Family
Posted Monday 9 September 2024
In July, we celebrated another successful cohort of graduates at Kingston University. We applauded and cheered as 3,000 students took to the stage at the Rose Theatre to receive their degree. We were thrilled to welcome students along with their friends and families, some of whom are familiar faces to Kingston University themselves.
In 1995, Matthew Taylor joined Kingston University to study his masters in information technology. This July, Matthew watched as his daughter Christina Taylor graduated with a degree in drama.
Matthew always remembered the reputation of Kingston and the support he felt when he studied here, and glad Christina found the same support and success: "I am very proud of my daughter!"
Christina is aspiring to work in the theatre or film industry: "I love the Rose Theatre because I trained in their youth theatre. It felt like going full circle to graduate on the stage."
Christina shared her experience of choosing a university and wanting to make a choice based on what felt right for her: "I've grown up in Kingston and the thought of being at home was comforting, also the vocational aspects of the course coupled with the academic focus felt the most rewarding. It was great when I realised I would also share the experience of graduating from Kingston with my dad. Despite our different career choices, it feels like following in his footsteps.
Matthew and Christina were not the only Kingston legacies to join our July graduations.
In 1990, Guy and Mirei Allen met whilst studying graphic design. Guy knew he wanted to come to Kingston after attending an open day, and Mirei came over from Japan after hearing about Kingston's great reputation.
34 years later, their daughter Kumi Allen graduated with the exact same degree.
Kumi chose Kingston after seeing the impact the University had on her parents' careers: "My parents had a brilliant time at Kingston in the 90s and have had successful careers since. They were the ones who told me to consider Kingston. Kingston is a place where I have made life-long friends and enjoyed three amazing years of learning who I am as a designer and as a person."
Mirei added: "I had always enjoyed my time in Kingston, it was easy for me to suggest to my daughter to study here."
Guy and Mirei had a chance to revisit the campus during Kumi's Degree Show and reflect on their own experiences. Guy remembered: "The course supported my transition from home to the wider world with a great grounding in the creative industry."
