Graduate Tales: Third Generation Completes USW Study

Ian Hopkins has just finished a Foundation Degree in ICT, and has become the third generation of his family to complete his studies at the same institution. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The 23-year-old, from Llanbradach, near Caerphilly, graduated from the University of South Wales (USW) last Friday. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

His whole family was there to witness the proud moment, including mum Carol, 52, and grandfather Kenneth Tilley, 79, who had also studied at the institution. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Carol – who now works in the Commercial and Client Services department at USW – graduated with first class honours in Management and Business in 2007, under its previous guise as the University of Glamorgan. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Kenneth attended in the early 50s – when the institution was known as the South Wales and Monmouthshire School of Mines – to study Chemistry. He went on to have a career as an industrial Chemist. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Ian has now secured a job at Lewis Girls School in Ystrad Mynach, working as an ICT technician. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​