Students’ degrees of success

MBA pals (from the left) Suzanne Thompson, Angela Heneghan and Lynda Pratt

MORTAR boards and graduation gowns filled the Queen Elizabeth Hall yesterday as this year’s graduates from University Campus Oldham (UCO) took to the stage.

Proud family and friends watched as 160 students were honoured.

Mohammed Ahad, from Coppice, is the first in his family to have a university education after completing a foundation degree in multimedia design at UCO, which is part of Huddersfield University.

The 21-year-old plans to study for another year to turn his degree into a BA Hons and then complete a Masters in teaching.

He said: “I always wanted to go to university. I’m a bit nervous about the economic situation but everything in life is a challenge and I’m determined to do anything to get a job.”

His sister, Fatema Khatun (29), from Chadderton, said: “We are really proud of him and we have high expectations for his future.”

A trio of pals have each gained a Masters in Business Administration after three years hard work.

Suzanne Thompson (45) and Angela Heneghan (39), from Royton, and Lynda Pratt (42), from Audenshaw, embarked on the course to gain professional qualifications.

Angela said: “It was very hard for all of use because we were all working full time and Lynda also has a family.

“Doing a Masters, you need to be prepared for work because it does take your life away for three years. But we supported each other and it is fantastic to get this qualification.”

Paul Bolton (39) used redundancy in 2005 to launch him into further education.

The father-of-three, from Audenshaw, has just gained a first-class degree in business, computing and multimedia and now aims to start a post-graduate course in education next year and become a teacher.

He said: “I left school with one O-level in technical design and when I was made redundant I knew I didn’t want to go back to working in a factory.

“Studying at UCO has been difficult, especially with three children, and at times I thought I’d never finish it.

“But the teaching in Oldham is more condensed as there are fewer students per class so it’s better for more mature students like me.”

Shelly Boothman (26) had double the reason to celebrate.

Not only had she gained a 2:1 BSC honours in health and community studies, but she was awarded the William Northam Prize for Outstanding Contribution to University Life award.

Shelly, from Middleton, said: “I left school at 14 and went straight to work but became poorly at 18 when I was diagnosed with epilepsy.

“I was having two seizures a week and the hospital’s intensive care unit was my second home.

“But after two years I just decided I couldn’t sit at home for the rest of my life and do nothing, so I applied for a health and nursing studies course at The Oldham College and was then offered a place on this course.

“I knew I couldn’t let my illness hold me back and I’m much more confident now than at 18.”

The Mayor of Oldham, Councillor Jim McArdle, said: “Having University Campus Oldham means a lot to Oldham as a town.

“It will help enormously to raise the profile and aspirations of Oldham.”

Oldham Mayoress Kay Knox said: “We were constantly told it wouldn’t happen but we fought and fought because we knew Oldham and its young people deserved opportunities.

“We’re fulfilling the dream and the dream is getting bigger.

“We are really looking forward to it expanding.”


Graduation day roll of honour
Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Digital Arts Practice:
Syed Saleh Ahmed

David Bates

Darren Campbell

Mackeba Codrington

Gillian Anne Dancey

Heather Dionne Doherty

Rachel Joanne Jones Hind

Daniel Knight

Wing Fai Man

James Francis McClusky

Mohammed Ansar Miah

Damien Purkhardt

Hafizur Rahman

June Sturgess

Paul Charles Joseph Wright


Bachelor of Science with Honours in Construction and Project Management:
Michele Jane Brayford

Gary Brindley

Ryan James Cave

Paul James Cooper

Tom Jagger

Jide Jimoh

Agnieszka Lysak

Darren Paul McGrattan

Atta Opoku

Phillip Tyas

Huw Watkin


Foundation Degree in Architectural Technology and Interior Design:
Nicole Genevieve Borneuf

Claire Dean

Dawn Anne Howcroft

Adele Louise Lawton

Michelle Louise Tracey


Foundation Degree in Construction:

Mohammed Jakir Ahmad

Rashid Ali

Matthew Armstrong

Benjamin Thomas Callaghan

Christopher Claypole

Kevin Douglas Etchells

Richard Gaskell

Ben Hibbert

Mohammed Haizur Rahman Hussain Ahmed

James Lawton

Martin Maders

Alex John Minett

Antonio Jose Guedes Moura

Paul Naisbitt

Goran Orescanin

Gary Scott Osborne

Lea Edward Smith

Lyndan Sykes


Foundation Degree in Multimedia Design:

Mohammed Abdul Ahad

Mohammed Ali

Shakera Begum

Robert Holland

Sohail Younis


Foundation Degree in Multimedia: Games Art:

William Cannon

Thomas Engels

Christopher James Forde

James Harrup

Daniel Mark Holland

Lee Marland

Stephen McGovern

Dean Antony Stoloff

Bernard Walker


Higher National Certificate in Architectural Technology and Interior Design:

Daniel Bramwell

Tom Riggal


Higher National Certificate in Construction:

Benjamin Costello

Kelvin Crossley

Laura Day

Mark Andrew Ferris

Claire Gray

Christopher Grindrod

Michael Harrington

Majeed Hussain

Jamie Jackson

Matthew Lewyckyj

Matthew Maders

Keith Makinson

Thami Archibald Molefe

Stuart Porter

Paul John Ridyard

Darren Searson

Edward Sharp

Mark Smedley

Lindsey Taylor

Jaya Marie White

Carl Wilson

Paul Withers


Certificate of Higher Education in Home Inspection:

Benjamin Costello

Russell Eddison

Claire Gray

Christopher Robert Hayes

John Alexander Price

Stephen Whatmough

Norman Wilson

David Ian Worthington


Master of Business Administration:
Stephen Paul Asten

David Bithell

Jacqueline Hanley

Angela Heneghan

Rohema Khan

Rosa Kovalevich

Jeanette Leach

Lynda Pratt

Martyn Price

David Schora

Andy Sharman

Sarah Shelley

Suzanne Angela Thompson


Diploma in Management Studies:

Coral Anne Aspinall

Maggie Choras

Karen Field

Marc James Hince

Azizul Hoque

Curtis Jenner

Mark Jonathan Lomas

Dawn Mills

David Jon Roberts

Naomi Sanderson

Joanna Sarno

Moira Smith

Samantha Smith

Ella Louise Stafford

Simon William Tessier

Amanda Youlden


Postgraduate Certificate in Management:


Nisar Ahmad

Delowar Chowdhury

Louisa Wilde


Bachelor of Law with Honours:

Anisa Hana Ali

Stacey Leigh Barnes

Ambia Begum

Leanne Marie Brierley

afeena Khan

Samantha Ann Laslett

Samantha Marie McCarthy

Emily Louise Mistry

Lisa Morley

Joanna Mary Riley

Israar Shafiq Tahir


Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Business Administration and Management:

Ruzina Begum

Shazida Choudhury

Mohammed Jameel

Mandy Josephine Jones

Missbah Khatun

Amoy Lindo

Adeel Rashid

Naureen Riaz

Christopher Alan Wilcox

Amrina Zafar


Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Business Management:


Halima Begum

Carly Daniel

Zuleha Iqbal

Amy Louise Jones

Junaid Sheikh

Gary Whitehead


Certificate of Higher Education in Business Management:

Graham Rogers


Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Legal Studies:
Alima Begum


Chartered Institute of Personnel Development:

David Hilton

Maria Elaine Kelly

Bernadette O’Toole

Arlene Michelle Roach

Adele Savage

Michelle Stockwell


Bachelor of Science with Honours in Business Computing (Multimedia):

Sarfaraz Ahmed

Muhammad Hasan Ali

James Alker

Imran Ashraf

Paul Lee Bolton

Claire Sheila Freeman

Corrine Michelle Goddard

Rezwan Javied

Aisha Khan

Irina Overy

Sean Rankin

Kelly Patricia Robinson


Bachelor of Science with Honours in Computing (Multimedia):

Robert Dickman

Andrew Harrop

Julie Christobel Heginbotham

Julie Dawn Kilroy

Thomas Reidy

Foundation Degree in Business Information Technology:

Jawwad Ahmed

Shohedul Amin

Ezequiel Jose Joaquin Chicuacola

Zaineb Farooq

Garmian Mohamad Hawre

Nazrul Hussain

Fokrul Islam

Makhsud Miah

Razwan Mohammed

Abdul Razza

Shazeeb Suleman


Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Early Years:

Eileen Bouch

Julie Brown

Nazia Firdos

Patricia Hunt

Sonia Ann Shoebridge

Adele Marie Stanley


Foundation Degree in Early Years:

Stacey Crowther

Victoria Fleet

Sarah Kate Foster

Kirsty Green

Nusrat Javid

Julie Kennedy

Samantha McGrady

Laura Messer

Sofia Neshad

Amanda Michelle Phipps

Lisa Marie Richardson

Donna Rogers

Christine Salter


Certificate of Higher Education in Early Years:

Julie Mellor


Bachelor of Science with Honours in Health and Community Studies:

Shelly Boothman

Helen Louise Cavanagh

Cheryl Ann Charnock

Blazio Chizarura

Katherine Elizabeth Cholewa

Georgia Hilton

Abimbola Jelugbo

Saima Judge

Asia Khatun

Claire Louise Marrow

Sibusisiwe Ndebele

Thoba Ndebele

Jacqueline Newton

Edvin Nyathi

Hannah Saj

Raffia Yasar

Sabreena Zafar


Bachelor of Science in Health and Community Studies:

Gemma Louise Schofield


Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Humanities:

Rebecca Jayne Josaphine Lomas


Bachelor of Arts with Honours in English with History:

Katrina Roman


Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Sociology:

Asma Rehman


Foundation Degree in Performing Arts: Performance:

Paul Anthony Adams

Danielle Baker

Abigail Crayon

Benjamin Stephen Guilfoyle

Dean Jones

Natalie Mahon

Alexander Martyn Williams

Andrew Wood


Foundation Degree in Performing Arts: Technical Theatre:

Paul Anthony Hampson

Rebecca Luray Tibbles