Emotional graduation for mature student who collects degree after mother’s death

A mature student whose mother passed away three months before he completed his degree has graduated in an emotional ceremony.

Graham Marchmont decided to retrain as a primary school teacher in his 40s. He joined UWE Bristol in 2023 to undertake a degree in primary education.

The former finance worker combined his studies on campus, and placements at local schools, with caring responsibilities for his mother Ruth at her home in Wiltshire.

Sadly, Ruth passed away in March at the age of 69 after experiencing mobility issues, arthritis and cancer.

With support from his lecturers and fellow students, Graham was able to complete his studies and graduated at Bristol Beacon with a 2.1 classification. Graham, 45, picked up his degree in BA (Hons) Primary Education with his brother Tim, sister-in-law Charley and aunties Christine and Janice in the audience supporting him.

He will take up a role as a Year 1 teacher at a primary school in Wiltshire in September.

His lecturers in the School of Education and Childhood said Graham had shown great determination and perseverance to complete his studies at an incredibly difficult time. They also praised him for coming through a period where his caring responsibilities had increased at a time when the course workload and intensity had also stepped up.

Speaking before the ceremony, Graham said his graduation day would be a bittersweet moment.

He said: “I think both of us would have been quite emotional. I wasn't going to make anything special of the day because mum's mobility had got so bad, and her walking range was going to make graduation day very tricky. We were going to work on ways of getting her into the Beacon so she could see me graduate. But the worst happened.

“Mum loved telling everybody I was qualifying as a teacher - she was very proud of that. She kept on saying ‘My son’s going to be a teacher’ which was a little bit embarrassing but lovely as well.”

Ruth passed away towards the end of Graham’s final placement in the classroom at a local primary school.

He said: “That week I had to make some calls that you would never dream of making. I remember having to ring my placement school to say that I wasn't going to be in. How do you word that to a school that doesn't employ you? The school was incredible - they were super supportive, as were my family and friends, and the university.”

Graham said the enormity of his mid-life career change, university journey and his mother’s passing only dawned on him as he approached his graduation day.

He said: “I now actually realise how big a life change it really is. I think it's more prominent for a mature student because I'm going from a finance life to a teacher life. It's a major career change, as well as adding in going off and doing a degree, and losing mum. It's a big milestone that I've never rightfully acknowledged until right at the end of my degree.”

Graham, who also works as a group exercise instructor, unexpectedly found himself out of his finance role in 2022 and decided to enrol on a one-year Access to Higher Education course which he took remotely as a route to university.

When he began at UWE Bristol, he initially found it difficult to bond with course mates as he was ‘closer in age to the lecturers than other students’ but eventually ended up making good friendships.

He said: “As the years went on, I felt that my peers were coming to me because I had that life experience. I could relate easier to the lecturers as well, because we're closer in age and we had more familiarity in a professional sense.

“Placements were definitely challenging because suddenly you're seen as a grown-up - you're viewed as a teacher straight away. My subject knowledge was the bit that I had to work on the most.”

Graham added of his time at university: “The thing that stood out is that the lectures and the lecturers were incredible. They've all been school teachers so they could offer advice from experience. I knew if I had a problem on placement that it would be just an e-mail away. They would reply ‘Why don't you try this?’ or ‘Why don't you do this?’

“The quality of experience coming from the lecturers is what I was lucky to benefit from, and it made the experience that much more real.”

On advice he would give to other mature students embarking on a university course, Graham said: “Ask questions - the lecturers I had loved them and would do anything and everything to help. Don't feel that you're alone and that you can’t go and talk to somebody – all of my lecturers always wanted to give me time, which I thought was incredible considering they have hundreds of students.

“And don't write yourself off. I don't ever believe you can stop learning. I'm a big believer that whether you're in your 30s, 40s, 50s or 60s just go out there and learn. It was great fun and I did learn a lot. I've already told my lecturers - ‘I don't want to leave uni’.”

Dr Karan Vickers-Hulse, Associate Director for Education at UWE Bristol’s School of Education and Childhood, said: “Graham has shown high levels of resilience which will stand him in good stead as he enters the teaching profession.

“His openness to communicate with the university and the school, sharing his situation, allowed us to put support in place when he needed it. Graham has built an excellent relationship with his peers due to his kindness, empathy and approachability and the whole programme team are incredibly proud of him.”