A masterly performance from mum and daughter

Rebecca Wood and mum Julie Kirkbride were set to graduate on different days from Teesside University with their different master’s degrees.

They contacted the University to ask if it was possible to graduate on the same day in the same ceremony at Middlesbrough Town Hall. This was duly arranged, making their joint graduation a truly special occasion.

Julie, 48, from Middlesbrough, achieved a master’s degree in Advanced Clinical Practice (Management of Long-Term Health Conditions). She works as a Community Matron for the North Tees and Hartlepool Foundation Trust.

Julie said: 'It was a proud day and the culmination of four years of hard work for both of us. It's not every day that you get to graduate, let alone share the experience with someone so close to you. We were very grateful for all those who helped to make this possible.' Julie added: 'Studying at this level gave me the skills to access and utilise relevant and up to date research to enhance my clinical practice. It also made me realise that anything is possible if you are determined to succeed.'

Rebecca, 22, also from Middlesbrough, was awarded a Master of Science degree in Marketing Management. She has recently joined Teesside University’s staff as an institutional repository project assistant in the Library and in the Graduate Research School.

Rebecca said: 'I was really proud to graduate with my mum. It was fantastic to celebrate our achievements together, and it was a really special day.

'I really enjoyed the live marketing consultancy projects I did as part of my master’s. We worked with small local businesses, developing their marketing strategies to solve problems within the company such as customer retention and loyalty.

'I completed my dissertation on women's perceptions of advertisements, which I also really enjoyed. I asked my participants for their opinions of certain adverts, exploring topics like sexism and body image and presented their comments to the companies mentioned.'

---