News - 250 New Graduates for Cornwall
University of Exeter press release
250 Cornwall-based students will graduate with University of Exeter degrees this summer. On Monday 14 July 2008, students from the University of Exeter's Tremough Campus, Penryn, will officially receive their degrees at a ceremony at Truro Cathedral.
Students will be awarded degrees in Biology, English, Geology, Geography, Mining Engineering and Renewable Energy by University of Exeter Chancellor, Floella Benjamin OBE.
Professor Matthew Evans, Provost of the University of Exeter's Cornwall Campus said: "I would like to congratulate all of our new graduates. Each of them has gone on a unique journey to reach their achievement, many overcoming difficult obstacles to get there. Degree day is a time for celebration and also a chance to reflect on how far we have come since we first set up our Cornwall Campus in 2002. Nearly 500 people have now graduated from the Campus, many of whom are choosing to stay in the county they have come to know as home."
The University will also award honorary degrees to Jonathon Porritt and Olga Polizzi in recognition of their contributions to society.
Jonathon Porritt is Co-Founder of Forum for the Future, the UK's leading sustainable development charity, and an eminent writer, broadcaster and commentator on sustainable development. He was appointed by the Prime Minister as Chairman of the UK Sustainable Development Commission in July 2000 and has been a member of the Board of the South West Regional Development Agency since December 1999. He received a CBE in January 2000 for services to environmental protection.
Since 1996, Olga Polizzi has been working with her brother Sir Rocco to build a new luxury hotel company, The Rocco Forte Collection. Olga is now Director of Design for The Rocco Forte Collection, which now has hotels in many European cities. Olga opened Hotel Tresanton in St Mawes, Cornwall in June 1998, having completely refurbished it as a personal project.
The University of Exeter established its Cornwall Campus, which it shares with University College Falmouth, in 2002 as part of the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC) initiative. It held the first degree ceremony for students on the Cornwall Campus in 2007. The University has been undertaking research and teaching in Cornwall since 1970, when it established its Cornish Studies department. Camborne School of Mines became part of the University of Exeter in 1993 and is now based at Tremough.
The £100 million Tremough campus is a Combined Universities in Cornwall initiative -of which the University of Exeter and University College Falmouth are two of the founding partners. It is funded mainly by the European Union (Objective One), the South West Regional Development Agency, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, with support from Cornwall County Council. Set in 70 acres of countryside, but close to the waterside towns of Penryn and Falmouth, the campus offers a lively student community. The University of Exeter now offers degrees in Biology, Cornish Studies, English, Geology, Geography, History, Law, Mining Engineering, Politics and Renewable Energy on its Tremough Campus, which has expanded rapidly as part of the Combined Universities in Cornwall initiative.
Cornwall Campus graduates 2008: case studies
A First for Feock's Jess
Jess Allsop had an open mind about where to go to university. The Penair School and Truro College pupil from Feock considered universities all over the country but also decided to have a look at somewhere closer to home. After visiting the Tremough Campus she was determined to study there.
Now 21, Jess is now graduating with first class honours English and has been inspired to take her academic career further still. In the autumn she will return to the Tremough Campus to study for an MA in English Studies (Literature, Place and Identity) and she is even considering following that with a PhD.
Jess stayed at home with her parents while studying. Speaking of her time with the University of Exeter on the Tremough Campus, she said: "There's a really close-knit community and I had lots of contact with my lecturers. The course was very broad. It's been really inspiring to be part of something new. I can't wait to go back in the Autumn - I just want to carry on doing what I've loved doing for the last three years."
Although she hadn't been set on staying in Cornwall, Jess has no regrets about staying at home. She said: "I love the relaxed pace of life here and I don't know if I could cope without having lived with the beaches around!"
Geologist Sam stays in St Ives
For Sam Hughes staying in Cornwall was essential. Luckily for him, as a keen geologist he was already in the best place as the county is home to the world-renowned Camborne School of Mines, part of the University of Exeter's Tremough Campus. Now 21, Sam is graduating with a BSc in Applied Geology, for which he achieved a 2:1.
Sam lived in York until he was eight, when his family moved to St Ives. He attended St Ives School and then Cornwall College Camborne, where he fell in love with Geology.
Speaking of the course, Sam said: "It was brilliant but very hard work. The facilities on the Campus are excellent and it was great to have the opportunity to go on field trips up to Scotland and to Spain."
Sam wouldn't have gone to university had the opportunity not been available in his Cornwall, but he is now hoping to get funding for a PhD focusing on the mineralisation and granites around South Crofty and other mines.. If he is successful he will be returning to the Tremough Campus to continue his studies with the University of Exeter's Camborne School of Mines. Despite being keen to further his academic studies, he is also keeping an eye on jobs in industry. In the future, he may want to take the opportunity to work abroad, but for now he's very happy to stay in Cornwall. He says: "I just don't want to move out of Cornwall yet; I like the place too much."
Layla looks forward to a new life in Cornwall
Ex zoo-keeper Layla Lidster hopes her first class honours degree will be the ticket to a new life in Cornwall. Layla originally moved to the county eight years ago to study for an HND in Zoology at Newquay College. She moved away to work as a zoo keeper at Woburn Safari Park, but realised that she wanted to further her career prospects so decided to do a degree.
Returning to Cornwall to study Ecology and Conservation with the University of Exeter was not a difficult decision for Layla. She says: "Long term I want to settle in Cornwall. I love outdoor activities, like walking, cycling and snorkling and there's so much to do here. It's a completely different lifestyle from everywhere else I've lived - the people are so friendly and it's much more relaxed."
Because Layla had a relevant HND, she entered the course in the second year, which was helpful financially. However, she still had to work part-time throughout her studies to support herself. Her final project focused on bat biology, and she is now volunteering for Cornwall Environmental Consultants doing bat surveys.
Now 26, Layla lives in Mawnan Smith, near Falmouth. Her dream is to stay in Cornwall and continue to help understand and preserve the county's unique wildlife by working in ecology.
Age no barrier for Truro's Sue
When Sue Pascoe receives her BA (hons) degree in English at Truro Cathedral she will, like many others, be watched by her proud parents. However, unlike her fellow students, she will also be joined by her son and daughter, both of whom are in their twenties. At 54, Sue is graduating with a 2:1 degree, a revived love of literature and a new focus for the future.
Sue grew up in Truro and returned to the city after moving around the country, including living in London and in Penzance, where she raised her children. Before embarking on her studies, Sue worked in the student services department on the University of Exeter's Tremough Campus. It was there that a chance meeting by the photocopier led her to where she is today.
"I was doing some photocopying when one of the English lecturers, Dr Marion Gibson, arrived to copy some documents on her area of research - witchcraft," said Sue. "It looked so fascinating that I started asking her about it. Before I knew it, I was inspired to apply for the course. It's really thanks to Marion's encouragement - and the luck of being in the right place at the right time - that I'm now a graduate."
Sue continued to work part-time during her first year, but then, as the pressure of studying increased, she focused on her academic studies full-time. She took advantage of the many opportunities on offer, by attending extra optional lectures and note-taking for students on other courses, which enabled her to accompany an earth sciences student on a trip to Iceland.
Speaking of her experience of studying again after many years, Sue said: "It was really stimulating and has helped me focus my thoughts more. It has put me back in touch with literature, which I've loved since I was a child."
Sue is now working part-time for Truro charity Young People Cornwall. She hopes to work in the charitable sector in Ghana, Africa, and to one day become a novelist.
Par student to take education higher
Francis Bowers looked at universities around the UK, but was finally swayed by the world-class reputation of Camborne School of Mines, the new facilities on the Campus and the opportunity to stay in his home county. Francis has lived in Cornwall all his life, mainly in St Blazey and Tywardreath, near Par.
Studying Geology A'Level at St Austell College cemented Francis' love of the subject. Now 21, he is graduating with a 2:2 BSc (Hons) in Applied Geology and is planning to take his studies even further.
Speaking of his time studying with the University of Exeter's Camborne School of Mines, he said: "It was brilliant. I loved it. The University has got brand new modern facilities and the course allowed us to apply theory to the real world, through really practical applications."
Keen to immerse himself fully in university life, Francis moved away from home and lived on the Tremough Campus in student residencies in his first year and then in Penryn.
A key attraction of studying with Camborne School of Mines was the career prospects. He said: "My chances of getting a job have been vastly increased. I'm considering working in Australia in the future." For now, though, Francis will be focusing on more studies and is due to start an MSc in Mining Geology at the University of Exeter's Tremough Campus in October.
Ecology studies bring globe-trotter home to Cornwall
Claire Scott's family moved to Cornwall from Kent when she was just four and Claire grew up in St Just. After spending several years travelling the world, taking up diving and seeing incredible wildlife first-hand, she returned to Cornwall inspired to study conservation. Now, at 31, Claire says she is "surprised and really, pleased" to have achieved a First Class Honours degree in Conservation, Biology and Ecology.
Claire initially studied Marine Environmental Management at Falmouth Marine School but wanted to broaden her expertise. She opted for a degree course at the University of Exeter's Tremough Campus that enabled her to extend her knowledge to both terrestrial and marine based science. Because of her previous studies she went straight into the second year of her degree. She admits it was a challenge to study at degree level, particularly given the fact that at school she had focused more on the arts so she had some catching-up to do to gain the necessary scientific background for the course.
Claire says: "Studying at this level you have to change the way you interpret and analyse things as well as planning your time, which was difficult for me as I was working to support myself. But I did enjoy it and the course has given me a really good grounding in biology and ecology."
A field trip to South Africa was undertaken in her final year and Claire was lucky enough to benefit from financial support by the Trevorrow Fund, which helps Cornish students cover the costs of trips. For her dissertation, she undertook an ambitious project to monitor the effect of human pressure on Cornwall's sandy beach ecosystems. She is now working with one of her tutors to try to get the work published in a scientific journal.
Claire is living in Newlyn with her partner and wants to settle in Cornwall. She is hoping to able to use her knowledge she has gained through her degree to pursue a career in research and environmental education.