Thousands of Robert Gordon University students are celebrating their graduation this week.
As the first day of ceremonies got under way at the P&J Live today, scores of proud parents, grannies, husbands, wives and friends cheered as their loved ones made their way up to the stage to pick up their hard-earned degrees.
Principal Steve Olivier told the graduating class they had achieved something truly worth celebrating.
He praised their resilience throughout the pandemic which added extra challenges to their studies, saying they had his gratitude and congratulations.
“You can’t change the past, so I urge you to look forward,” he said.
To see who is celebrating this week, use our interactive tool to check the full list of graduations.
Each day we’re shining the spotlight on four of the day’s graduates from the north and north-east.
Aberdeenshire
Business management graduate Katherine Henderson will be putting her thesis research to good use soon when she starts her new job with Keenan Recycling.
The 21-year-old, from Newtonhill, completed her third year placement at a waste management company and wrote her dissertation on the lack of female drivers in the industry.
She said it gave her a “deeper understanding” of the industry, which she is now looking forward to applying to her new role.
Phillip Wallace hopes that his degree is the first step to one day owning his own business.
The 21-year-old, from Westhill, has graduated with a degree in management and marketing and has all the “focus and drive” to pursue his dream of setting up his own firm, and potentially moving abroad.
He said: “I am open and excited to see the opportunities that come my way.”
Moray
Emily McNair wasn’t sure what she wanted to do when she left school.
But after listening to her gut and taking her time to discover her interests – opting to do a two-and-two course with NesCol and RGU – she has today picked up a first-class degree in accounting and finance.
The 21-year-old, from Elgin, said it had been the “right choice” for her.
She is now working part-time as a bookkeeper and hopes to develop her interest in tax accounting in the future.
Highlands
Fiona Steven was at first daunted by the idea of moving away from home to a city for university.
But four years on, she is preparing to pack up and head to an even bigger city after securing a job at an accountancy firm in Edinburgh.
The 22-year-old, from Wick, said arriving in the Granite City had been scary at first, but after overcoming the initial homesickness she has “never looked back”.
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