Graduation is a one-time thing for some people, and it can be heart-breaking when something serious happens that jeopardises a person’s attendance to theirs. In America one girl very nearly missed hers.
Cynthia Pettway, 17, a senior at LeFlore High School, Alabama, found herself too sick to attend her graduation as she was laid up in hospital with a life-threatening illness. However, through a partnership between MCPSS and USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital, Cynthia found a new way to attend graduation.
Dressing a robot in a cap and gown, attaching an iPad to its head and wheels to its feet, Cynthia was able to video-link herself to the device. This enabled her to cross the stage and collect her diploma, with cheers from her classmates in the background.
You can see Cynthia cross the stage below:
Thanks to this robot, Cynthia was able to celebrate all of her hard work. At Sheffield Hallam University, we also want you to be able to celebrate, and while we can’t quite provide a robot, we want to assist as much as possible. If you have any special requirements that you need taking into consideration for your graduation ceremony, make sure that when you book your tickets you put in the ‘special requirements’ section anything that you or any guests may require.
If for any reason you forget or aren’t able to do this during the booking process don’t worry you can always do this afterwards via the ‘special requirements’ link which will appear on the ‘My Certificate and Graduation’ page.
Remember! If for some reason you cannot attend your graduation, we allow you to defer your graduation by one year no questions asked. If you want to defer your attendance contact us so that we can update your records accordingly.
As always – any questions please take a look at our website or if you need to speak to someone contact the Graduation Office on graduation@shu.ac.uk.
Graduation bookings opened last week, and to help you even more we thought we’d share our first ever video to help you all with ordering your gown!
We tend to get a few questions about ordering the gowns, specifically when Ede & Ravenscroft ask for the measurements of your head & chest to ensure that the gown and hat will fit. All your queries should be answered in the video below, and we really hope that it is useful!
If you like these kind of videos please let us know in the comments below and we will ensure that we do more!
For any further information on booking your gown, please visit our ‘Before The Day’ guide on our website.
We’re sure that you already know what to do now thanks to the information on our brand new website, but just in case, we’ve put together a little information on how to book your tickets for graduation (woooooooo!)..
How to book your tickets
The first thing you need to do is log onto My Student Record. Make sure you are using your number student ID to log in with, and not the one that starts with an ‘a’ or a ‘b’ (22123456 not b2123456).
It may ask you to choose a course when logging on, ensure that you choose the course code that we sent you in your email (if you haven’t received any emails from us – make sure your email address is correct on My Student Record!).
Navigate to the ‘My Certificate and Graduation’ tab and you should see a link on the right hand side saying ‘Book Graduation Tickets and Pay Now’. Once here, just follow the instructions on the page.
I can’t see the link, I haven’t received an email and/or I’m unable to book tickets!
Please note, if you are yet to complete your course or receive your final results, you will be unable to book tickets now. Tickets are not allocated on a first-come first-served basis, so please do not worry as you will be able to book the same tickets as all other graduates as soon as you are eligible.
Don’t panic! You won’t be able to book your tickets yet if you have not completed your course and received your final results. As soon as you are cleared and eligible to book, we will send you an email.
If you have already completed your course & received your results but still unable to book, just double check you’re logging into My Student Record with the correct course code (see above). Other than this, just wait a couple of days to see if the system refreshes – it’s possible you’re still being processed!
REMEMBER – gown orders also opened today on the Ede & Ravenscroft website. You have until 26 October 2018 to book. For further information on how to book your gown, please see our website.
Job Title: Graduate Intern – Development & Alumni Relations Office, Sheffield Hallam University
Finishing my English Language degree was a bittersweet experience. The relief of handing in that final essay was amazing, but I couldn’t help but feel upset about having to leave my time as a student behind. My course engaged me from the very beginning and encouraged me to explore a variety of career routes ranging from Speech Therapy and Teaching to Marketing and Communications. The module I enjoyed the most was definitely the dissertation, as it provided me with the opportunity to lead my own project, offer a contribution to my chosen area of research, and conduct interviews with detective inspectors about their interrogation techniques – which I thought was pretty cool!
A week before my final deadline date, I went for my first graduate job assessment centre that I felt quite nervous for given my lack of interview experience. To my surprise however, I was offered the post of Graduate Intern at Sheffield Hallam on the day I had officially finished my degree, which definitely called for a double celebration! The team I’m currently working for is called the ‘Development and Alumni Relations Office’ (or DARO – side note: Hallam is obsessed with acronyms!!). The aim of the department is to create giving back opportunities to current students and develop a community of donors through the Hallam fund. I’m currently working on a range of projects in my role, which include assisting with the planning of Alumni events, collating content for our bi-monthly Alumni e-newsletter and helping to support the delivery of the Graduation 2018 campaign. Even though I’ve only been in DARO for a few weeks, I have already been given the opportunity to do things that I wouldn’t have otherwise had the chance to do. My highlights so far include going to Central London for a training day and writing articles that have been published in our e-newsletter.
As someone who wasn’t aware of the ‘Alumni offer’ during my final year, working within the DARO team has opened my eyes to what Hallam can offer me as a graduate. From seeking careers advice to arranging reunions, I was shocked at the amount of support that would still be available to me once I’d left. Finishing your studies therefore, doesn’t have to mark the end of your time at the University, so make sure to have a look at what you could get involved in and keep in touch!
What’s happening in the Graduation Office this week we hear you wondering. As we move towards the ticket booking opening date, graduation has started to get a little busier. But first, we have a rather important event to look after…
Chancellors Installation
We’re all gearing up for the Chancellors Installation, a ceremony to formally install our brand new Chancellorinto her role, which is only next week! We can’t wait to officially welcome Baroness Helena Kennedy QC to Sheffield Hallam University. It’s looking like it will be a fantastic ceremony with many of you being lucky enough to join us for the celebration too.
It’s only two weeks (and 1 day) to go until ticket booking goes live!
As the 1st August approaches, we’re currently preparing ourselves for the beginning of Graduation 2018. We’re seeing more and more of you contacting us with queries as we count down the days until ticket bookings open. Remember, we have our brand new website to let you know everything you need to do Before The Day and any other queries you have, so please do take a look if you are unsure about anything.
Remember, you will be able to book your tickets at any point from the 1st August (assuming you have received your results) until the 26th October. You are able to view your graduation date at any point from now by going to ‘My Student Record’, ‘My Certificate and Graduation’ and ‘Check and Amend My Details’. (While you’re there, why not also double check that your email and address is all up to date to save you hassle in the long run?)
We can’t wait to see you in November, only 16 weeks to go!
PS. Our comments are now turned ‘on’, so if you have any suggestions for a blog you’d like to see in the future, let us know!
