Shropshire students celebrate graduation

After years of hard work, it was finally time for 700 students to celebrate how far they had come at the university, which is just outside of Newport.

Across a morning and afternoon ceremony, the proud students enjoyed their moment in the spotlight, applauded by all their peers for the completion of their degrees.

The ceremonies were also the chance for honorary degrees to be handed out to four extraordinary people with links to the university.

The four gave speeches urging students to be ambitious, to never doubt their abilities, to spread spread their wings and to make the most of all opportunities presented to them.

Among those awarded was Devenish Group executive chairman Owen Brennan.

Positive

He said: “I think people should all be very ambitious and take really seriously what it is they can do and be ever more open to all of the new experiences that will inevitably come their way.”

‘Queen of the plow’ Anna-May McHugh received an honorary degree for her life-long work for the National Ploughing Association.

She said: “Be very positive and never doubt your own ability. Whatever direction you go in, convince yourself that you are able to do it.”

David Fursdon, Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Devon, was awarded the degree for his career spanning 30 years in agriculture and rural property.

“We have all got some things we are better at than others and if we focus on the things that we enjoy we are more likely to be successful,” he said.

Professor Han Luija, dean of the college of engineering at China Agricultural University, was the final recipient of an honorary degree.

“Studying in an international environment is something that will greatly benefit your future and it is so useful to learn about different cultures, social lives and languages,” she said. “We’re all one family, you need to study happy and live happy.”