This was our first experience of a graduation ceremony and it was such a memorable day, a highlight in our lives.
It is such a proud moment for parents who, like me, look back on their child’s education over the years which has culminated in them achieving academic excellence, their offspring developing into well rounded citizens who will now live in the real world, equipped with the skills and knowledge from their education and parenting; David graduated from Hull University with a 2.1 in Economics and Marketing.
I loved the day from beginning to end. It started with David joining us in our hotel for a hearty breakfast at the Holiday Inn Marina. It was somewhere I always wanted to stay as I loved the marina location and boats with the European flags flapping outside. It felt almost like preparing for a wedding as David robed up in our hotel and we walked across to the City Hall together for the ceremony.
However, we managed to get caught in a sudden downpour which we were unprepared for and sheltered in the doorway of a pub when a woman stunned us with her generosity and kindness by producing a spare umbrella from her handbag and insisted we take it, saying the sun had shone for her daughter’s graduation and she wanted us to have a good day too. Would such generosity of spirit have happened in the south? She forced the umbrella into my hand and ran out into the rain.
Virginia Bottomley, Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone, is the Chancellor of Hull University, and had a genuine warmth about her as she spoke. I thought it was a shame she wasn’t able to congratulate the students personally with a hands-shake (shortage of time, I guess), rather than select a random few for a moment’s chat.
One of the most touching moments of the ceremony was when students were asked to stand up and clap to their parents and thank them for their support over the years; it was a well delivered clap and much appreciated by proud parents. The hat throwing ceremony afterwards was great fun too, with a real paparazzi scrum ensuing as parents jostled for a good spot to capture this unique moment.
Later, over a celebratory dinner with David and his girlfriend and her family, I presented them with books written by inspirational figures whose advice and experiences they could learn from – Terry Leahy’s Management in Ten Words for David, and Julie Meyer’s, Welcome to Entrepreneur Country for Fiona.
No pressure then!
But life is all about learning, and this is just the start for David and his girlfriend, and the thousands of other fresh graduates too.
Congratulations, Ellee! I graduated in 1999 and completely relate to the jubilation!!!
Congratulations Ellee. It was my younger daughter’s graduation day at LSE yesterday and I can entirely relate to your feelings.
Apart that is from the rather snide observation about “the South”. Lots of little kindnesses were exchanged between the proud parents in London as we exchanged cameras to take each others’ group shots etc. My Londoner daughter, presented with a far-too-big celebratory cake at lunch by her doting father took half of it to a neighbouring table so another LSE student and his family could share it.
It was an unworthy sentiment in a happy moment, Ellee, especially from as usually kind a soul as you. Given the capital’s taxes subsidise the rest of Britain while its own infrastructure is neglected so that living here gets harder and harder and more and more costly, it would be nice if you provincials could be at least polite!
Hello Tom,
Congratulations to your family, and especially your daughter, on her graduation.
My comment wasn’t meant to be a snide remark about people in “the south”. We were just so touched by the kindness of a stranger during our moment in need. David has had a great time in Hull and loved being there. He is now going to live in London.
I wish your daughter every success for her future.
The South of England is largely multi-cultural nowadays – possibly the most integrated in Europe, if not the world.
It’s so welcoming and generous, in fact, that half the world is moving to live there – crossing a multitude of ‘generous’ EU flag-waving countries on their journey to get there.
Ellee, I was thrilled to hear of your wonderful day celebrating David’s achievement! Congratulations to all of you!
It poured with rain too when Mollie graduated but it is such a special day that whatever the weather throws at us nothing can spoil it! Terrific.
xD
Very well done.
My bro’ in-law has made an excellent career (and a lot of money) from his 2.1 from Kingston.
Congratulations, it sounds like a perfect day.
That is a lovely picture of the two of you.