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This week Buckinghamshire New University held its first winter graduation, with post-ceremony celebrations held in its newly redeveloped area, ‘Dove’. 

Wearing the signature red and grey gowns and black mortarboards, hundreds of students were honoured from academic Schools across the university, including nursing, health and social care, aviation, creative and digital Industries, and business and law. 

Throughout the week, the concourse of the university’s main High Wycombe campus was flooded with friends and family of graduates, who all posed for pictures before making their way to the Wycombe Swan Theatre for the main event. 

Post-ceremony celebrations were held in BNU’s new Atrium and Beeches restaurant, both part of the new ‘Dove’ building where graduates enjoyed photo opportunities and refreshments alongside their lecturers and tutors. 

The new ‘Dove’ space, which was completed in November, includes the Winter Garden, Atrium and Roof Garden and is named in honour of women’s rights campaigner and founder of Wycombe Abbey, Dame Frances Dove. 

The graduation event was the first of its kind to be held in February, with the university’s main graduation being held in July. 

Addressing BNU’s first winter graduation, Master of Ceremonies, Deputy Vice Chancellor Damien Page, said: “Graduation is always special but, for universities like ours, it holds extra meaning. Our students are often the first in their family to enter HE; for them, higher education is transformational. 

“Graduation is more than a celebration; our students achieve generational change and they enter careers that make a real impact.” 

In Monday’s opening graduation ceremony, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nick Braisby, told graduates: “We are enormously proud to celebrate your achievements and offer you our very best wishes for the future. 

“You have worked hard, overcome many challenges, and have now achieved success. Upon graduating your involvement with the University does not stop – you are members of the BNU family,” he added. 

During the event, graduates were also recognised for their dedication and performance throughout their studies with internal prizes being awarded, as well as the most inspiring tutors being named by students. 

On Tuesday afternoon, Andrea Coope graduated from the School of Health and Social Care and won its Best Overall Performance award. 

Addressing her win, Andrea said: “It’s a testament to all my hard work and support of my family, but also to the quality of the teachers and lecturers at BNU. A lot of lecturers have social work backgrounds and know what it takes to make social work students successful.” 

Operating Department Practice student Ruth Elmore not only graduated with a first-class honours degree, but also won the Best Performance in a Dissertation award. 

Speaking about Ruth’s win, Associate Professor in Operating Department Practitioner, Shane Roadnight, said: “Not was Ruth extremely committed, but she also relentlessly strove to be the best she could to enable her to deliver care of the highest quality throughout the rest of her career.” 

On Thursday, MSc Applied Positive Psychology graduate Elizabeth Savory was announced as winner of both Best Overall Performance in School and Best Performance in a Dissertation for the School of Human and Social Sciences. 

On finding out about her double win, Elizabeth said: “I was absolutely speechless, I’m really proud. It’s been an amazing course, BNU has been a brilliant university to be at, so winning the awards has really rounded it off, I’m ending on such a high and I feel really proud.” 

Adult Nursing graduate and Bucks Students' Union Vice President Education and Welfare officer, Amy Pile, also graduated, and said: "It doesn't feel real, the three years have gone by so quickly. 

"I want to thank everybody who supported me throughout my studies, especially my family and all the staff at the university, it feels great to be a graduate."