Bath College students celebrate
Watched by proud family and friends, more than 80 students in gown and mortar board celebrated graduating from Bath College. The students have all completed degree level and higher education courses and finally saw their efforts come to fruition at The Assembly Rooms on Tuesday. After a procession of the senior management team of the college, heads of departments, academic staff, governors, and Mayor of Bath, councillor Patrick Anketell-jones, the ceremony began and certificates were handed out to graduates. Two keynote speakers inspired the crowds with their words; Gavin Strange, senior designer and director at Aardman Animations and Nick Isles, managing director of Corporate Agenda advice consultancy. Gavin pointed out to the graduates that: “We all have the same amount of hours in a day as Beyoncé does or Mozart did. It’s how we choose to use those hours that count.” Nick told graduates: “What Bath College has done is to offer you all an immersive, supportive learning world that has hopefully strengthened your self–confidence and selfbelief and helped you all grow in stature.” Graduates collected awards in subjects such as accounting, business, construction, engineering, computing, marketing, music production and education and training before gathering outside for the traditional throwing of thir hats into the air, to cheers from guests and passers-by including a city tour bus full of applauding tourists. Laurel Penrose, principal and CEO of Bath College, said: “It has been a wonderful day. “These students remind us that success comes to those who work and I know the extra work they have undertaken through their studies will, at times, have been difficult and gruelling, but they have made it through. I am very proud of our higher education graduates and I wish them all the very best in their exciting futures.”