UHI Inverness students honoured at graduation and celebration ceremony

GRADUATES and award winners celebrated their academic achievements with friends, family and staff at the UHI Inverness Graduation and Celebration of Achievement on Friday.

They were urged to be ambassadors of the education they received in the Highlands as they moved on in their lives, demonstrating the adaptability and determination they have shown while studying during and after the pandemic.

More than 900 people attended the two ceremonies at the Free North Church in Inverness. They both began with a procession of the academic party led by mace-bearer Neil Stewart, lecturer at the Scottish School of Forestry at the Balloch campus who has worked at UHI Inverness for more than 40 years.

Graduate Emily Gray and her guide dog April during the guard of honour after the afternoon graduation ceremony

A total of 880 higher education students were eligible to graduate from UHI Inverness this year, receiving a total of 926 awards. Students gained a range of higher education qualifications including Higher National Certificates, Higher National Diplomas, degrees and postgraduate programmes.

Professor Chris O’Neil, Principal and Chief Executive of UHI Inverness, told the students: “You have faced challenges that no one could have foreseen. Many of you started your journey with us just before or during lockdown restrictions. You demonstrated immense resilience, flexibility, and initiative by transitioning to remote learning, and then later embraced campus life with enthusiasm when our doors opened again. Your adaptability and determination have been nothing short of inspiring. You embody perseverance, and you should be confident in the knowledge that you are well-prepared for the future ahead.”

He also paid tribute to local employers and industry representatives for their unwavering support, that has been instrumental in shaping the experience of the students.

“Your ongoing collaboration strengthens the bridge between education and industry, ensuring that our graduates are equipped with the skills needed to thrive in today’s interconnected world. I’m thankful for your commitment to nurturing the next generation of professionals,” said Professor O’Neil.

A finalist on this year’s BBC One show The Traitors, Evie Morrison, was the guest speaker at both ceremonies. She inspired the graduates and guests by reflecting on her own experience as a UHI student and how her studies influenced her TV experience and her career in animal health.

Evie told the graduates: “I encourage you as you move into this new part of your life to be ambassadors for the Highlands, especially for education and especially the education you have received here at UHI Inverness. Use your time spent here at UHI Inverness to open many more doors, doors that you didn’t think could be unlocked or opened for you, doors you didn’t even know existed or hadn’t even dreamed of. Take it from me, a former UHI student, if you had told me in 2016 what I had in store, even just the past year of my life, I would’ve laughed. But there are skills that you have learnt here in the past two, three and four years that will set you up for your career, your life, and things you haven’t even dreamed of yet.”

A number of special prize winners were honoured during the event.

Professor Bernd Hänfling, Director of the Institute for Biodiversity and Freshwater Conservation at UHI Inverness, was acknowledged during the ceremony for receiving the title of Professor of Freshwater Biodiversity and Conservation. Jenny Matthews, a celebrated photographer and filmmaker, was also recognised as a Visiting Professor.

Ewan Gordon, a graduate and special prize winner

Ewan Gordon was presented with a Certificate of Merit on behalf of the Institution of Civil Engineers for being the highest scoring final-year civil engineering degree student at UHI Inverness this year.

Ewan (24) from Helmsdale, who graduated first class BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering, said: “To receive this recognition so early in my career gives me a great deal of pride and confidence.”

Certificates were also presented to Student of the Year winners – Javier Munoz Moreno Overall UHI Inverness Student of the Year, Rachel Fraser the winner of the Overcoming Adversity Award and Jordan Fenly who received the Most Improved Award.

Graduate Rocio Suarez Rubiales and her partner Javier Munoz Moreno, Overall UHI Inverness Student of the Year winner

UHI Inverness Depute Curriculum Lead of Childcare and Work-based Learning, Julie Jones, was presented with a 2024 Highlands and Islands Students’ Association (HISA) Award for Best Academic/Learning Support from HISA president William Campbell.

Elizabeth Keegan, Inverness President of HISA, said: “It was inspiring to witness the hard work and dedication of our students come to fruition as they crossed the stage. I was proud to celebrate their achievements alongside staff, families, and friends, and it was a privilege to be part of such a memorable occasion. I know that the skills and knowledge they have gained during their time at UHI Inverness will serve them well in their future endeavours.”

The event was followed by a celebratory reception at Inverness Campus.