Local graduates are top of the class

Amy Gilligan

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The last few weeks have been nerve-racking for many students from the borough waiting for their degree results.

For most the wait is over and the hard work has paid off.

Rochdale Online spoke to a selection of  graduates to find out their results and what they are planning on doing next.

Amy Gilligan from Littleborough got a First Class Honours in an Earth Sciences Masters degree at Oxford’s Exeter College and will go on to do a PhD in Seismology at Cambridge from October.

Amy eventually hopes to become a university lecturer. In the meantime she will travel to London, the Isle of Man, the Pyrenees, Scotland and Romania for a well-deserved break.

“It feels exciting to have a degree.

“It was an amazing experience, I met a lot of amazing people and I’ve done some cool things. I’ve learned a lot.”

Rachael Walls, 21, from, Milnrow, has been awarded a First Class Honours degree in Business Studies from Manchester Metropolitan University.

After three years of hard work Rachael is delighted with the end result, and is looking forward to a summer of travelling as a reward. She said: “I am currently working at the Co-Op head office in Rochdale before going travelling the East Coast of America until the end of August.

“When I get back I am going to apply for a job as a buyer, I will hopefully gain enough experience to work my way up as a Senior Buyer and in 10 years time become a manager of a buying team which includes worldwide travel as part of the job.”

Paul Plant finished his four-year stay at Imperial College London with a First Class Masters degree in Physics. He will work for nine months with a London finance company and will then go back to university to do another Masters in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces.

“I fell in love with physics,” said Paul, who went to school at St Cuthbert’s and grew up in Syke.

“I’m happy, surprised and relieved. My mum was crying tears of joy. Imperial is a peculiar place, but university was interesting. As well as doing my degree I dedicated my time to singing.”

Sam Ashworth has been awarded a First Class Honours degree in Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Leeds and will work for BAE Systems in Preston from September. He was delighted with his achievement:

“I feel very proud of myself and my parents are very pleased as well. University was expensive, but worth it. It was nice to get away from home and I wouldn’t change anything.”

His girlfriend Louise Parkinson completed a PGCE at the same university after getting a First in Mathematics last year. The couple will live together in Littleborough and she will teach at the new Rochdale Sixth form College.

Louise said: “Lots of times I said I was going to quit but I stuck with it. It’s been a stressful time but university has been a good experience because now I know I can do things.”

Paul Finnerty, 22, found out whilst on work experience at Rochdale Online that he has been awarded a First Class Honours degree in English and Hispanic Studies following a four-year course at the University of Nottingham.

Paul said: “It feels quite strange to have actually finished my degree but at the same time relaxing. I had a great time, made lots of lifelong friends and the year that I spent working in Brazil and Argentina was the best yet.”

He will return to South America this July and will work at a university in Colombia as an English teacher. In the next few years he wants to get a job in Brazil and be involved with the World Cup and Olympics which the country will host in 2014 and 2016.

Aisha Iqbal, 21, from Norden, has just completed a three-year course in English and was awarded a First Class Honours degree from the Manchester Metropolitan University.

Studying isn’t over for Aisha who has decided to go back to university for a year to study to be an English teacher. “I am extremely happy with the overall result. It is proof that hard work pays off.” said Aisha.

Matthew Hooper, 20, of Pargate Chase, Norden, has just completed a Law degree at the University of Leeds. Matthew’s final grade was an Upper Second (2.1).

Matthew said: “I am working as a junior paralegal at a law firm in Manchester for six months before going travelling. My dream job would be barrister or partner in a law firm.”

When asked where he would like to be in 10 years time, Matthew said: “I see myself working as either a solicitor or barrister, possibly married with children.”

Kimberley Ross, 22, of Ashbourne Avenue, Middleton, has just finished a three year magazine journalism course at the University of Central Lancashire. Kim was awarded a 2.1 degree and will be throwing her cap in the air at her graduation ceremony in July.

Kim explains what she wants to do next: “I'm going travelling in September for 10 weeks, visiting Dubai, Thailand and Australia. It's something I've always wanted to do and rewarding myself after all these years of education seems the perfect time. I'm looking for some freelance work to incorporate into the trip also.

“When I return, I plan to look for a job to get some money together so I'll be able to move out of Manchester and to somewhere new exciting with a job I enjoy - which is the most important thing, I think.”

Kim’s dream job would be working for an equine magazine, she said: “Then I get to combine my love of horses and journalism.”