Graduation Stories - Winter 2023

Mark Logan, Chief Entrepreneurial Advisor to the Scottish Government, has been awarded an Honorary Degree from Robert Gordon University (RGU) during a festive graduation ceremony on Tuesday 12 December.

After serving 30 years as a Police Officer, Gill decided to return to Gray’s School of Art to pursue her ambitions to work in sculpture.

An Italian postgraduate student swapped the beauty and Mediterranean climes of Bologna for Aberdeen last year having grasped the opportunity of studying overseas.

A newly appointed Community Nurse in Aberdeenshire who excelled at university, becoming President of the RGU Nursing Society to advocate the voice of student nurses.

A student from Mexico has graduated from Robert Gordon University having relocated to the North East to enhance her expertise and become a “worldwide agent”.

A newly qualified nurse at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, who is proud to be graduating in the Heart of Grampian tartan, designed by a patient where she trained.

Having suffered a broken back in a horse-riding accident in 2008, Dr Gillian Fowler has used her own experience with spinal injury as the main focus of her PhD studies at RGU to help others dealing with similar issues to move forward in a positive, fulfilling way.

Having studied at RGU as a trainee nurse 21 years earlier, Laura returned to higher education to pursue her dream career as a District Nurse.

A qualified teacher from Mexico is celebrating crossing the stage this winter with a Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences having been inspired to achieve her own goals after helping so many others to achieve theirs.

An Aberdeenshire nurse with twenty years’ experience working for NHS Grampian who decided to return to university to upskill as a Health Visitor.

Dr Julie Jones has completed her PhD and used her main research passion to help the people living with Parkinson’s better deal with it through exercise. Julie was very keen to conduct research in a clinically orientated problem which affects the Parkinson’s community.

Temitope, from Lagos in Nigeria, joined Robert Gordon University to move towards a different career path having spent several years across various sales and marketing roles.

An accomplished art’s curator and advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, who plans to use art to amplify the voices of under-represented communities.

An Aberdonian student from Hazlehead Academy had only just graduated from Robert Gordon University (RGU) when she rejoined the institution to enrol in a master’s degree.

An international student who wanted to study overseas to upskill and grow in the construction sector.

A student from Pakistan became the first in his family to graduate abroad having been the recipient of a well-renowned British Council scholarship.

Abimbola uprooted her family following glowing reviews from a colleague to embark on a postgraduate voyage in Aberdeen and now has zero regrets following a successful, straight-A master’s journey.

Anna Fyfe has completed MEng Mechanical and Biomedical Technology having never even visited Aberdeen before starting her studies.

Bamikole Aduloju studied Law at the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University Nigeria before heading to the UK some years ago having been inspired by his mentor who had gained a PhD from the University of Hull.

Having worked in her own family run business for well over a decade, Rhona MacLennan decided to go back to university to upskill and add to her previously obtained postgraduate degree in Human Resource Management.

A former nurse from Ayrshire is graduating with a distinction having studied part-time at RGU which allowed her to juggle a master’s degree in Analytical Science while proving to her daughter that “hard work pays off”.

A mature student from Ghana has obtained a postgraduate degree from RGU in Aberdeen, widely known as the energy capital of Europe, in order to enhance her career in the industry.

Atulya Venkataraman’s lifelong penchant for curiosity to understand how machines work has helped him complete his MEng Mechanical and Offshore Engineering with distinction.

Suzanne Steele, an experienced marketing professional from Forfar, is celebrating graduating with an MBA and with it ticking off the long-held ambition of doing so before hitting the big 4-0.

Federico Zampese not only completed his MEng Electrical and Electronics Engineering but managed to navigate through the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as landing a job offer during his second 10-week placement.

Megan Jones’ walk across The Music Hall stage marks not only the completion of her Graduate Apprenticeship (GA) BEng (Hons) Engineering: Design and Manufacture but also the successful balancing act of becoming a mother, studying and working full-time.

Poni Rose moved to the North East of Scotland from her home in South Sudan and has described how undertaking a master’s degree at Robert Gordon University has enriched and elevated her life and career prospects.

Maria Oszoli graduates with a MSc in Applied Psychology and it marks another milestone on her academic career with RGU having completed an undergraduate degree in International Tourism Management in 2021.

For Richard Thomson successfully completing a Graduate Apprenticeship (GA) in BSc (Hons) Data Science with first-class honours at RGU is the perfect step forward for his career.

A mother of two from Westhill has graduated with a first-class degree - despite the revelation of being diagnosed with both dyslexia and dysgraphia, something she describes as a “lightbulb moment”.

For Joni Gellatly completing a Graduate Apprenticeship (GA) in Data Science is a significant achievement after successfully finishing her studies while looking after her family, coaching a football team and continuing to work full-time.

Karen Micallef knows when she works across the stage at The Music Hall it marks the realisation of a long-held dream to become a qualified social worker.

When Sarath Sarasappan walked across The Music Hall stage and graduates from RGU it was the realisation of a long-held dream.

Husseini secured a full-time job as a Quantity Surveyor with a leading UK construction company a few months before completing his master's program, and is proud to be graduating, side by side, with his partner who he met whilst studying at RGU.