UHI Moray students graduate at Elgin Town Hall
Years of work have paid off for UHI Moray students who graduated today.
The students were praised for their “fantastic achievements” within further and higher education, during “difficult and unusual times” at the Elgin Town Hall ceremony.
Graduates were rewarded for their efforts at all levels, and across all subjects from hairdressing to applied social sciences.
Addressing the crowd, UHI Moray principal David Patterson said: “I have the utmost admiration for all the students of UHI Moray here with us today.
“Never underestimate what you have achieved here.
“You have shown remarkable resilience and commitment in these unsure and difficult times to earn your place here at this graduation event.
“What we’re here for - the point of UHI Moray - is to help change lives. To help get people from where they are now, to where they need to be next.”
The principal also recognised that those graduating have faced a challenging few years due to Covid-19, the cost of living crisis, college funding cuts and industrial action.
“We have all lived through difficult and unusual times from the Covid pandemic to the cost-of-living crisis,” he said.
“You have also had to contend with national industrial action and the uncertainties that have arisen this year from the continuing real terms reductions in government funding faced by all colleges and universities in Scotland.
“Like most colleges across Scotland, we’ve had to review what we do, and how we do it.
“We’ve maintained a very broad offer of college courses this year and secured the delivery of the university courses most in demand in Moray while, at the same time, supporting people here on a wide range of other UHI courses delivered across our vast UHI network.
“You’ll probably know that we’ve run a voluntary scheme across the summer to reduce the number of staff we employ.
“But I’m delighted to welcome today both our continuing staff, and those who will be leaving soon but who have had such a big impact on the students graduating today.”
Dr Patterson also congratulated UHI Moray students for their excellent record in technical subjects, shown through their awards success.
The guest speaker at today’s graduation, was the CEO of Associated Seafoods in Buckie Victor West.
In his speech, he praised the “incredible” atmosphere of the graduation event and urged that there is “no wrong path”.
His career began by entering the office of his “mentor” for a summer job, as stop-gap before plans to study finance and law in Edinburgh.
However, he added: “I’m still to do that.”
Victor, instead, dedicated himself to Associated Seafoods and eventually achieved his finance degree through his work.
He later “flew over to Harvard” to get a law degree while still with the company.
The CEO encouraged celebrating students to use the time they have wisely, arguing that the number of hours in the day is the world’s one “true equality”.
“We have got equality of time,” he said.
“Make sure you are using your hours wisely.
“What you do with those hours makes you who you are.
“But whatever you do, measure it, understand it. Ask whether you are getting the value out of what you put in.
“If you are not enjoying it over a large period of time, you need to think about what you are doing.”
