Joy as father, daughter graduate together
A FAMILY that studies together stays together. That seems to be the motto of Adrian Bailli-Steward, 47, and his daughter Claire, 21, who both graduated at the University of Stellenbosch.
“I was extremely aware of the privilege of studying with my daughter and it was nice being with a much younger crowd,” Steward said. He obtained a master’s degree in Journalism and his daughter a BSc in Human Life Science.
“She was my go-to person for everything. The studies have really tightened that bond that was already there between me and my daughter,” Steward said. Steward is a former photojournalist and has a diploma in photography from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). He said it was a natural progression for him to go into the media world. “It’s really given me insight into mostly online media and social media.”
It took him six years to complete his research, squeezed in-between his business commitments and being a full-time father to two daughters, he said.
Claire said her student life has been “unique” because she had her dad around most of the time. “He is very understanding because he is also a student. I was fortunate because most parents studied years ago and cannot relate to current pressures of being a student.”
Steward said his daughter encouraged him. “Very often I wanted to give up but she motivated me.” Claire said: “Coming in as an A student and sort of becoming an average student has been a challenge. There were anxiety, tears and failures but we achieved what we aimed for.” –