A family affair for Hallam graduates

1st December 2017

A mature nursing student has achieved her life-long ambition after graduating from Sheffield Hallam University, together with her two daughters who graduated alongside her.

Making for an extraordinary graduation ceremony, mother of two, Helen Weatherill who has completed her degree in adult nursing, graduated with her daughters Jenny and Samantha, who have also completed healthcare degrees after they joined the University together three years ago. Helen, 48, now has a career as a community staff nurse at Tickhill Hospital in Doncaster. Samantha, 21, has qualified as an occupational therapist and will be starting a role working with individuals who have learning difficulties and autism spectrum disorder in a forensic setting. Jenny, 24 has completed a dual degree in learning disability nursing and social work; she is now a project worker for a charity which supports young people to rehabilitate their lives. Helen said: "It's great that we get to share such a special day together, I'm so proud of Jenny and Sam who have grown into bright and caring women with amazing futures ahead of them. "My biggest achievement has always been raising my daughters; we're really close and have reached some major milestones together since starting at Hallam, one marriage and one grandson on the way! I've always wanted to be a nurse and now I have achieved a degree and my dream career, and for that I am really proud." Samantha added: "It felt really good to graduate together and also strange to share the day with my mum. I'm immensely proud of her, I'm proud of all of us. I cried when I watched my mum go up onto the stage. "We've always been by each other's side, throughout my whole life, through the highs and the lows that we've experienced; to come through it and graduate together really is a moment to cherish." The trio graduated at the end of Hallam's graduation fortnight which has seen more than 7,500 students receive their degrees during ceremonies at Sheffield City Hall.