Middlesbrough students celebrate graduation success

Students from Middlesbrough College marked a significant milestone at the historic Town Hall as they celebrated their achievements and considered future career aspirations.

Almost 150 higher education students graduated with university-level qualifications in a wide range of subjects, including business management, teaching and learning, travel, culinary arts, health, wellbeing and social care, engineering and computing.

Among the graduates were Georgina Purvis and Wiktoria Sosnowskias, who balanced their studies in airport and airline management with jobs at Ryanair.

Georgina, 20, from Billingham, said: “We met on the course and we were doing the same job as cabin crew at Ryanair so we get on well together.

“I feel like I’ve managed to balance studies with work well – the teachers at the College have been really helpful and have helped us to fill things in when we have been at work.

“What we’ve been learning has really helped with my job – I’ve got so much more insight into the job after doing the degree.”

Wiktoria, 21, from near Northallerton, added: “The two years have been really good with amazing teachers and really good support and the time has just flown by.

“Studying on the course has made me realise that this is definitely the career that I want to get into.”

Another to graduate was Anthony Bell, 22, from Redcar, who has achieved a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and has already started as a trainee mechanical engineer at Lianhetech in Stockton.

Reflecting on his experience at the College, Anthony added: “I had smaller classes here, I got more personal teaching and the support was always there when I needed it so it has panned out really well.

“The course has already helped me a lot in my job. A lot of the things which I learned on my degree I’m now finding crop up at work, so I feel it’s really given me a head start.”

Meanwhile, for 38-year-old mum of three Sarah Edwards, who had trained as a nurse in London and had moved back to her home town of Middlesbrough, the opportunity to study at the College came about at an open evening she attended with her teenage son.

As she explains: “I had been considering doing a degree but I couldn’t find the right course.

“I got talking to one of the tutors at the open evening who explained there was a course that was really beneficial to my career and I started from there.”

Sarah subsequently embarked on a degree in health and social care, juggling study with maternity leave and looking after her children.

“Because my career had gone more into social care, I wanted to gain more knowledge and skills in that area so I could progress further.

“The course was brilliant and the students on the course, who had already gone through the Foundation degree, were very knowledgeable and welcomed me with open arms.”

Sarah did so well that she was Middlesbrough College’s class valedictorian of 2024, qualifying with a first class honours degree and the highest marks in her year. She has since secured a new job as a nursing home manager and is looking into further study programmes to advance her career.

And after delivering her valedictory speech to hundreds of guests at Middlesbrough Town Hall, Sarah was fulsome in her praise of the College, describing it as “fantastic” and “well worth it”.

Middlesbrough College offers foundation to master’s degrees validated by leading institutions such as the Open University.

With smaller class sizes and part-time study options, the College provides accessible pathways for students to gain in-demand skills while balancing personal and professional responsibilities.

To find out more, see here.

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