GRADUATION DAY – A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES 
26 June 2019
An extended version of this article will appear in the July eGraduate, to be published on 02 July. To opt in to receive the eGraduate just click here.
Congratulations to everyone graduating this week. Graduating from Queen’s – or indeed any university – and waving good-bye to the familiar ‘college bubble’, is an important milestone but with all its trappings of pomp and ceremony, interwoven with nail-biting moments and feelings of relief and elation, it is much more than a rite of passage.
The end of one era and the beginning of what some will refer to as ‘life in the real world’, graduation is a time to reflect.
For the Class of 2019 it is a time to look forward to what happens next; for those for whom graduation is a more distant memory, it is an opportunity to salute – often nostalgically – bygone days.
While the prospect of crossing a stage to shake hands with University hierarchy – in front of thousands of fellow graduates and their families and friends – may be nerve-wracking, the occasion is one that, for most, will remain engraved on the memory for years to come.
Personal recollections
Digital Intern in Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO), Niamh McGovern (BA English and Politics 2017), says graduation brings back three very special memories. “My honorary graduate was Emma Donoghue, the writer of Room, which had already been adopted into a movie with Brie Larson two years previously, so she was definitely the most exciting hon grad that year,” said Niamh.
“It was also my birthday on the day, so we had a double celebration!
“And I didn’t trip on stage as is the common fear at graduation, but I did on my way up to the platform and completely out of sight of the crowd.”
Looking back, what words of wisdom and encouragement would Niamh offer her younger self if she was able to send a letter or email – or more likely a text – back to 2017?
“There will be many days to worry about what lies ahead and where your career will take you,” suggested Niamh. “Graduation is not one of those days – so just enjoy the celebration,” she added.
For DARO’s Head of Major Gifts, Helen Carrick, the strongest memories of her Graduation Day involve her parents and friends.
“I loved the opportunity to show my parents around the campus, after them hearing so much about it from me,” said Helen, “and seeing them in the audience as I was awarded my degree certificate, was extra special.”
Helen graduated in 2003 from Leeds University with a BSc in Information Systems Management Studies. She would advise her younger self to take time to travel the world before starting a career, and to make the most of this special time in her life.
“Make the most of this time, it’s a unique period in your life where you have few responsibilities; the world really is your oyster so don’t be in a rush to move onto the next stage!”
Gerry Power (LLB 1982), DARO’s Communications Officer, recalls getting his grandmother to don his graduation gown for a photograph; sharing the occasion with Seamus Heaney who was collecting his honorary degree from Queen’s on that day; and salvaging one strawberry from the dish that was accidentally dropped by his father at the afternoon garden party.
“Graduation was a splendid day out, one I was pleased to be able to share with my parents and my grandmother, and later in the day, with a couple of close friends.
“I remember Seamus Heaney receiving his honorary doctorate in the Sir William Whitla Hall that morning and feeling that I was in the presence of an individual, who up until then, was only someone I had studied at school or heard about on radio and television.”
Honorary Graduates
Graduation is also an occasion when the University honours leading figures from the worlds of business, science, sport, academia and the arts – from the UK and across the world – as Honorary Graduates.
Among those being recognised this summer are three times all–Ireland winning Down Gaelic Football star, graduate and former Queen’s GAA senior team coach, Seán O'Neill and world superbike champion, Jonathan Rea MBE both of whom will be honoured for distinction in sport.
Queen’s graduate and BBC Northern Ireland journalist and political commentator, Mark Carruthers OBE, will receive an honorary DLit for services to broadcasting.
Catch up on this year’s full list of Honorary Graduates here.
Keep in touch
Following graduation, you automatically become a member of Queen’s alumni network, a community of 180,000 graduates living and working in over 120 countries around the world. Irrespective of the year you graduated – or indeed your degree – graduates share a common bond with generations of fellow Queen’s alumni.
As a graduate there are a range of services, benefits and discounts available. The University’s Careers, Employability and Skills team remain available for expert advice on your next job move for the first two years after you leave Queen’s. And graduates will also receive occasional invitations to University events, receptions and dinners, and to class reunions.
Monthly ezines and an annual magazine from DARO will ensure that graduates are up-to-date with life at Queen’s long after they have left the University.
And make sure to stay in contact via social media – Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Or you can join the Queen’s Graduates’ Association (QGA), or one of other alumni groups, all of which arrange regular events and activities to help keep memories of Queen’s alive.
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An extended version of this article, with additional recollections from DARO team members, will appear in the July eGraduate, to be published on 02 July.
To get the most of being a Queen’s alum, sign up for regular email contact. It’s easy to opt in and will only take a few minutes – just click here.
To submit graduate news items, or for general enquiries about this story, please contact Gerry Power, Communications Officer, Development and Alumni Relations Office, Queen's University Belfast or telephone: +44 (0)28 9097 5321.
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