Higher Education students at Bradford College celebrated their hard work and academic achievement when they graduated at a special ceremony at Bradford’s ‘LIFE Centre’.
The day was split across two special ceremonies as the latest College graduates donned their cap and gowns in front of family, friends, and VIP guests. The first ceremony at 11am welcomed graduates from the Bradford School of Art, Engineering & Construction, Science, Health & Meditech, and Business, Accounting & Law.
Speaking to a packed audience, Chris Webb (principal & CEO) opened proceedings, saying: “I am proud to be part of the exceptional team leading Bradford College and equally proud of all your successes. It is no easy feat to achieve a higher-level qualification, and you should all be very proud.
“Many of you will have faced challenges, doubted your abilities, made sacrifices but above all, worked incredibly hard. We must also thank all of your families, carers, guardians, loved ones, and friends who supported you and motivated you to complete your studies.”
As part of the ceremony, executive director of Bradford Producing Hub, Lisa Mallaghan, was awarded an Honorary Fellowship for her work in the arts. Founded in 2019 as a pilot Arts Council England project, Bradford Producing Hub is an independent arts development organisation that nurtures artists and creative companies across the Bradford district.
Lisa spends much of her time planning, fundraising, and developing partnerships with arts and community organisations, as well as managing the Bradford Producing Hub team. She supports artists and creatives through advice and mentoring sessions, including Bradford College students. Lisa said:
“It really means the world to me. I’ve been working so hard in the Bradford arts scene for over 20 years now, so to know that it’s been noticed and recognised means so much to me and my team […] This cohort are in a position which so few graduates experience, as they step out of their studies straight into our year as City of Culture! If they really grasp this and get involved, it could fast-track their careers in a way that might not have been possible before.”
As well as degrees and Honorary Fellowships, the day’s schedule included special awards to recognise exceptional achievements of specific graduates. In the first ceremony, Mary Whitehouse (FdA Textiles Practice) received the ‘Principal’s Outstanding Resilience Award’. The ‘Principal’s Award for Excellence’ went to Nick Hamlett (FdSc Ophthalmic Dispensing), who achieved the highest grades among his peers. Nick said:
“This degree will be so valuable for networking, I’ve built a level of knowledge to relate to other industry professionals. Every time it was my day to come into College, it’s something I looked forward to. I’m really proud of my achievement, it’s testament to the great teaching staff at Bradford College.”
The final ceremony of the day at 4pm recognised students from the Margaret McMillan School of Education and School of Social Care & Community Practice. Professor Rosie McEachan was warmly welcomed by guests and received an Honorary Fellowship for her work in Applied Health Research.
Professor McEachan’s impressive work includes holding a leadership position at The Bradford Institute for Health Research and being co-lead of The Healthy Families theme of the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Yorkshire and Humber. She is also the Director of ‘Born in Bradford’ – one of the world’s most extensive research programmes that aims to discover what influences families' health and wellbeing by tracking the lives of over 40,000 Bradfordians.
Speaking of her pride, Rosie said: “I’m so thrilled to have been awarded this Honorary Fellowship from Bradford College. It means a lot to me as Bradford College is an institution we’re proud to serve within the Born in Bradford research programme. To be recognised by the institution is absolutely amazing.”
The ‘Principal’s Outstanding Resilience Award’ went to Beata Kamran (Masters of Education) and the ‘Principal’s Award for Excellence’ went to Carly Harker (BSc Hons Counselling & Psychology in Community Settings). Carly said, “I wasn’t expecting to come back into education at all and now I’ve managed to get a degree!”
John Williams (Chair of Governors) brought a close to Graduation 2024, saying: “In this room today, we have the next generation of experts across all kinds of specialisms and industries. Use your newly acquired knowledge to create, innovate, improve, refine, and find solutions that will benefit future generations. Society needs you now more than ever, but I feel confident and assured knowing that Bradford College graduates will be making a difference in the world”.
Bradford College is one of the largest education and training providers in the region, delivering Higher National Qualifications, Degrees, Higher Level Apprenticeships, and Postgraduate courses. The College is passionate about making its campuses some of the best available for higher education students and continues to enhance facilities with transformational multi-million-pound funding.
