Today media students were among those who received their University of Chester degrees and diplomas at a dignified ceremony in Chester Cathedral.
Hundreds of students from different departments attended the graduation ceremony, where they were honoured by Chancellor Gyles Brandreth.
Acclaimed choreographer Wayne McGregor also received his honourary degree following an introductory speech from the Performing Arts and Media Department’s Ian Rasmussen.
Mr McGregor said: “As you start your professional life just be really open and curious in the world, grab every opportunity that you can and build your own path.”
He continued that success follows “failing, failing, failing,” and said that added that the fields of performance and media were constantly changing but open with possibility.
Mr Brandreth also urged the new graduates to be resilient and not to fear possible failure, in a more round-about way. The TV personality, journalist and former MP congratulated attendees before regaling them with a story about how he, while working on a documentary, accidentally smashed a priceless violin owned by virtuoso Yehudi Menuhin, who continued with the performance, steadfast despite the loss.
The former students, though, were there to celebrate success.
Aled Davies, a journalism graduate, said: “It feels like all the hard work is definitely worth it. There’s an enormous sense of pride among us after the last year of hard work. It’s definitely rewarding. Now I have to figure out what to do next, though the aim is to go into media.”
Sam Revivo, also a journalism graduate, said: “I’m working in Notting Hill in graphic design, marketing and blogging. I design magazines as a side income. I wouldn’t have been able to do that without the final year magazine module. It totally changed my trajectory.”
Other sports, music and general journalism students in the class of 2019 have also already gone on to find work. This includes paid posts at regional newspapers and working in communications for professional football teams. Meanwhile, Broadcast Production and Presenting graduates have secured prestigious placements at TV studios and more.
Teaching staff on the Journalism, Film, Advertising and related Media BA courses were there to see their students off.
