Sheffield Hallam University: More than 9,600 students celebrated at 'biggest ever' annual graduation event

More than 9,600 students have graduated from Sheffield Hallam University as part of the biggest-ever annual programme of ceremonies.

The celebrations, held at Ponds Forge, have seen 9,668 students from across the university graduate in front of 33,818 guests including family and friends across 35 different ceremonies during the last fortnight. 

Of those graduating, more than 750 were nursing and midwifery students, 600 from allied health professions, such as paramedics and physiotherapists, with another 900 completing their degrees in the University’s Sheffield Institute of Education on teaching related courses.

Among the nursing students who graduated last week was Yordanos Gebrehiwot, who came to Sheffield in 2014 after fleeing war in her home country of Ethiopia. She started on a journey to overcome language barriers and secure the right qualifications to study to become a nurse.

In 2020, she was offered a place at Sheffield Hallam after completing her English and Maths GCSEs and securing a Sanctuary Scholarship from the University, a fund set up to support asylum seekers with the cost of their studies.

Yordanos wanted to become a mental health nurse after losing her mother at a young age and seeing her brother struggle with addiction and mental health issues. She is now a full-time nurse.

Yordanos said: "Throughout my journey, my dream of going to university to study to become a mental health nurse never changed. 

"My journey could not have been made possible without Sheffield Hallam University. When nobody considered me as a human being, the university provided me with an opportunity to make me feel like a complete person again. I cannot say thank you enough."

Sheffield Hallam University Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Chris Husbands said: "This year’s graduation ceremonies have once again been a huge success and I would like to thank everyone who contributed to making them so special for graduates and their families.

"Seeing more than 2,000 nurses, midwives, healthcare and teaching professionals graduate drives home the impact Sheffield Hallam University has on the region and the training of its workforce, and that makes me immensely proud.

"It is always a delight for me to chat to attendees before and after the ceremonies, and to understand just how important graduation, and the University, is to them. I wish them the very best for what the future holds."

The annual graduation events also saw notable individuals from across business, media, human rights and the creative industries receive honorary doctorates for their contributions to their fields.

This year’s recipients included:

• The creators of the award-winning musical Standing at the Sky’s Edge
• Entrepreneur and winner of The Apprentice, Tim Campbell MBE
• Author Sathnam Sanghera
• Journalist and science communicator, Vivienne Parry OBE
• Proud Sheffielder Uriah Rennie, the first Black Premiership referee
• Businessman Ian Stuart, CEO of HSBC UK
• Entrepreneur and trailblazer in the steel industry, Dr Sara Hornby
• Renowned barrister, Professor Phillipe Sands KC.