Top Students And Local Figures' Achievements Celebrated At Awards
19 November 2012
Rear Admiral Peter Hudson CBE with the University's Chancellor the Duke of Devonshire, Vice-Chancellor Professor John Coyne, Chair of Governing Council Chris Hughes, and other members of the University Executive
The day was such an enjoyable occasion for myself and for my family. I did a degree later in life for my own personal development, and understand the importance of education. It is so important to keep learning as it opens many doors.
”Rear Admiral Peter Hudson
International Spa Management graduate Rebecca Mills
Hospitality Management graduate Patrick McElroy, with his lecturer Leonard Cseh
Buxton welcomed back around 300 former students on Saturday (November 17), as they returned to the town to graduate from the University of Derby Buxton at its annual Awards Ceremony.
The students, University dignitaries including the University's Chancellor the Duke of Devonshire, Honorary Doctors and their guests took part in a procession from the Dome to a ceremony at St Anne's Church led by Fairfield Brass Band. They returned to the Dome for the ceremony, formal photographs and a meal, which was prepared this year by Professional Cookery students of Buxton College.
Two high profile figures - Co-founder of the Tesco Clubcard Programme, Edwina Dunn, and serving Naval Commanding Officer Rear Admiral Peter Hudson CBE - both received Honorary Doctorates at the ceremony.
Edwina Dunn said: "To have been honoured in this way by the University, in such amazing surroundings, is fantastic. I am thrilled."
Rear Admiral Peter Hudson added: "The day was such an enjoyable occasion for myself and for my family. I did a degree later in life for my own personal development, and understand the importance of education. It is so important to keep learning as it opens many doors."
For a number of the graduating students, the journey had been a long one as they had travelled from the four corners of the world to return to the University with their families for their Awards Ceremony. Students from Germany, Austria, the United Arab Emirates and Barbados were among the many countries represented by the University's diverse graduating population.
In fact it was a love of travel that led one student who graduated on November 17 to learn a new language and travel across the world to study in a different country. She was rewarded as she graduates with a First Class Honours degree and took home a University prize for her achievements.
Joanna Chruscicka, 23, BA (Hons) Travel and Tourism Management student achieved a First Class degree and the Prize for Achievement Through Adversity.
Growing up in the small town of Hrubieszow in the south east of Poland, Joanna was passionate about learning English and dreamed about travelling around the world.
She said: "At some point in my life I started dreaming about going to an English speaking country where I could live, work and develop myself. After graduating from high school I decided to go to the UK with an intention to study. To do this I had to attend college for two years to learn English. I figured that studying Travel and Tourism Management at the University of Derby Buxton would be a great opportunity for me. It would enable me to combine my passion for travel with my future career.
"I am delighted to graduate with such fantastic grades and to have my parents here with me today as they are very proud of me. I must admit that I put a lot of effort into my studies."
Another student graduating before family and friends was Rebecca Mills, 24, originally from Bristol. Rebecca travelled back to Buxton for the ceremony from Bristol where she now works as the Spa Manager of Bannatynes Health Club - a job she secured soon after completing a BSc (Hons) International Spa Management degree in June (2012).
Rebecca credits her rapid success on her degree's emphasis on experiential learning which enabled her to gain real world experience and skills working as an assistant spa manager at the University's on-campus commercial spa.
She said: "During the final year of my degree I was given the responsibility of assisting in the day-to-day management of the spa. I managed customer service, staff rotas, organised staff training and solved any problems that arose during a day, giving me the opportunity to develop my therapeutic and also my management skills.
"This experiential learning and the detailed industry knowledge I gained during my degree gave me the skills and confidence to go for this job. This sets me apart from people who hadn't studied at University and makes me approach spa management differently.
"I'm really enjoying working for Bannatynes, and hope to take all of the opportunities that working in such a large national organisation could bring."
Rebecca also collected the University's Spa Industry Prize sponsored by spa product brand Elemis at the awards ceremony.
For talented graduate Patrick McElroy, 28, from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, his degree provided a fast-track route within the hospitality industry.
Patrick secured a place on Whitbread's accelerated management programme soon after completing a BA (Hons) Hospitality Management degree.
He said: "I'd been working in the hospitality industry for around ten years in restaurants, hotels and bars. By working hard I'd achieved promotions to rise to a management position, but I realised that I wanted to move my career forward at a faster pace, and stand out from the crowd. I decided that a University qualification would be the best way to do this.
"University was probably a different experience for me than for students who came straight out of school. I treated my degree as work, and gained as much experience as possible at the University's on-site fine dining restaurant, and at its events, as well as working in Buxton's local hospitality industry."
All of Patrick's hard work paid off as he graduated with First Class Honours and takes home the Savoy Educational Trust Award for Excellence.
Soon after completing his degree in June 2012, Patrick secured a Deputy General Manager role for Whitbread at a hotel in Welwyn Garden City.
"Getting a degree proved to my industry that I wanted to be taken seriously and to gain a strategic role in hospitality. The University's focus on experiential learning also meant that on completing my degree I was ready for a highly competitive job market.
"Now I'm working for a large company where my aim is to be a General Manager within the next two years and also pursue a Masters degree in Hospitality Management at Buxton."
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