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Two days of celebration
More than 1,200 students received their degrees during six
ceremonies held at the University on 20 and 21 July.
Among them were brothers Jonathan and Peter Hawtree, who were both
awarded a BSc in Computer Science.
Brothers Jonathan and Peter Hawtree
The brothers, who attended the Hedley Walter High School in Brentwood,
have now applied to continue their studies at Essex, on a Masters degree
course in Robotics and Embedded Systems.
Jonathan, 24, worked in the City of London for three years before
attending the University, while Peter, 22, joined after leaving school.
The brothers started a mobile disco business – Superstar DJs - to fund
their studies, and share a house near the University at Wivenhoe.
It was also a family day of celebration for 21-year-old twins Samantha
and Emma Hornblow who both graduated from the University on 20 July.
Twins Emma (left) and Samantha Hornblow
Samantha was awarded a BA in History and Criminology, and Emma a BA in
American Studies, which included a term studying in Ohio, USA.
A
husband and wife graduating together in Financial Economics also had a
family celebration, with relatives joining them from Estonia and Turkey.
Pinar and Bogdan Gogulan only met midway through their course, at an
Economics Society event in Geneva, but married five months later.
Bogdan travelled to Turkey from his family home in Estonia last summer
to propose to Pinar, and the couple married in Bodrum in September before
returning to Essex to complete their final year. Now the 24-year-olds have
both secured jobs in the UK, and moved to London.
The graduating students from all over the world were joined by five
honorary graduates.
Honorary degrees were awarded to the British Section President of the
European Court of Human Rights, the Honourable Sir Nicolas Bratza, and the
Director of the National Gallery in London, former Essex lecturer Dr
Charles Saumarez Smith.
Also honoured was Professor Dorothy E Smith, one of the founding
members of Essex’s Department of Sociology and a world-renowned scholar on
the standpoint of women in sociology.
Sarah Tyacke CB was honoured for her work as the Chief Executive of the
National Archives of England and Wales. William W Gould, founder and
President of StataCorp LP, one of the world's top statistical software
companies, also received an honorary degree.
Essex graduate and former Sky, ITN and BBC news journalist Ben McCarthy
collected the 2005 Alumnus of the Year award.
(left to right) Professor Albert Weale, Department of Government, Alumnus
of the Year Ben McCarthy, and The Right Reverend John Waine, Chair of the
University of Essex Foundation
Ben is the fourth recipient of the annual award, which aims to
recognise the achievements of Essex graduates. He graduated from the
Department of Government in 1989.
He told the packed degree congregation that when he came to study at
Essex his ambition was to work as a BBC journalist.
‘The most important thing that coming to this University gave me was a
sense of confidence – to have a go’, he said.
Many of his breaks in television had come about by chance, he added.
Likewise, it was pure chance that he emerged unscathed when one of the
7July terrorist bombs was detonated on the Circle Line train on which he
was travelling to work.
Ben concluded: ’I guess when you realise that so much in life comes
down to chance, it’s important to make the most of good opportunities
however they arrive. Like me, you’ve given yourselves a great start
graduating from this University. I hope you are able to make the most of
that opportunity.’
Alumnus of the Year Ben McCarthy (left) receiving his award from The Right
Rev John Waine, Chair of the University of Essex Foundation
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