East Riding College and Scarborough TEC celebrate annual graduation ceremony

Higher education students from East Riding College and Scarborough TEC gathered today in Beverley to celebrate their academic achievements at a graduation ceremony held at St. Mary’s Church on North Bar Within, Beverley.

Distinguished guests included the Deputy Lieutenant of East Riding, Mrs Caroline Heaton; the Worshipful the Mayor of Beverley, Councillor Cheryl Gile; and the Town Mayor of Bridlington, Councillor Mike Heslop-Mullens.

The Principal Guest for the occasion was Mr David Mays, Director and founder of Sesh Events UK, who addressed the graduates, their families, and friends, and presented a selection of higher education qualifications. Each ceremony also featured a vote of thanks delivered by a student representative.

An Honorary Degree was awarded to Mr Peter Wilkinson in recognition of his outstanding contribution to further education and skills in Scarborough and North Yorkshire.

On receiving his award, Peter said:

“I know few greater honours than receiving an Honorary Bachelor of Education Degree, my gratitude goes far beyond any business award I have ever received. It has been a distinct privilege to work with the team from Scarborough TEC and TEC Partnership on major projects across the education sector.

“Collaborating on Scarborough Science & Engineering Week, which is now in its 17th year, and serving as founding Chairman of the Scarborough University Technical College, Scarborough TEC and TEC Partnership’s support and collaboration with the local business community have been instrumental in driving these successes.

“My personal thanks go to everyone for this incredible honour.”

The traditional student vote of thanks was delivered by Dijana Rowden, BA (Hons) Integrative Counselling, who reflected on their time studying for their degree, highlighting the unwavering support of teaching staff, the strong sense of camaraderie amongst peers, and the shared excitement for their future.

Five academic awards were also presented, celebrating the recipients’ hard work and commitment to their studies.

Reflecting on the success of the day, Ann Hardy, Chief Executive Officer of the TEC Partnership, commended all those involved:

“It is a true privilege to mark the culmination of our students’ hard work with such an inspiring celebration today. Graduating represents years of dedication, resilience, and ambition, and every single one of our higher education students should be immensely proud of reaching this milestone.

“We were delighted to confer an Honorary Degree upon Peter Wilkinson in recognition of his fantastic impact on the region and I am deeply grateful to both David Mays and Dijana Rowden for adding such special contributions to the ceremonies.

“My sincere thanks go to our incredible staff, families, and friends for their unwavering encouragement. I wish our graduates every success as they embark on the next chapter of their careers.”