Swindon College Graduates Celebrate Success

Swindon College students finally donned their gowns and caps as they celebrated their graduation on Friday (7th Oct) after years of hard work.

Success rates for university level courses at Swindon College are at an all-time high of 87% and the day was a great success - starting with the students arriving at Jurys Inn for their outfits to be fitted and photos to be taken.

Then a procession of the students and college staff, led by Royal Wootton Bassett town crier Owen Collier, walked down Princes Street towards Holy Rood Church for the graduation ceremony.

Swindon College’s Higher Education Manager, Nicola Boland, said: “It was a fantastic day and we are so proud of the achievements of all our students this year.”

Nicola added: “We have a wide range of people that do higher education courses here – from 18 year olds to people in their 70s! Many of them juggle their studies alongside work and their own personal commitments. It’s a testimony to the determination of them all, and we wish them the best for the future.”

The guest speaker this year was the Vice Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University – Professor Alistair Fitt. He said: ‘’after plenty of hard work, study and determination it was a joy to watch the students celebrate what they have achieved with their families, friends and college staff’’.

“I am proud of our connections with colleges such as Swindon. It is very rewarding to work with institutions who are so committed to providing an excellent student experience and proactive in their efforts to expand routes into higher education, particularly for those who perhaps in different circumstances would never have thought about studying at that level.”

Ruth Mwangi, who graduated with a Foundation Degree in Health & Social Care (run in partnership with Oxford Brookes) said: “I am really happy and proud to be here today. I enjoyed the two years that I studied at Swindon College. Support from the tutors was fantastic and was always on hand.”

She added: “I loved the library and I was constantly there as it has such good resources and the staff there are amazing. This course has helped me on my journey to be a nurse.”

Paul Casillas, graduated with a Foundation Degree in Sport Therapy: “I have always wanted to help people deal with sport injuries and this course has put me on the right path. I love the fact that this course is accredited by Bath University. This course was taught very well and I am really enjoying my graduation day.”

This year, 43 students have achieved first class or 2.1 (upper second) honours degrees. As well as honours degree levels, 60 people graduated with Higher National Certificates (HNC) and 49 students graduated with Foundation Degrees.

This success covers a wide range of subjects – including art, civil and mechanical engineering and business.

For more information on Swindon College, visit www.swindon.ac.uk.