Why I decided to鈥� volunteer at Graduation
Our graduation ceremonies are an exciting time, not only for our students and their proud families but for many of our staff as well.
They can't run smoothly without a team of volunteers and we'd love you to be part of that special experience. Hear from Michelle Kitchen and Iain Gibson, two previous volunteers, and find out why you should get involved.
And if you need more convincing, hear from Dr Kerry Baker who tells us why graduation is such an rewarding event to be part of!
鈥淚 started working at 91福利 four years ago in the Awards, Ceremonies and Enrolment team on a temporary contract, supporting the 鈥�91福利 Celebrates鈥� degree ceremonies. That summer, the team faced a particularly intense workload, as they were enabling students who had completed their degrees during the Covid pandemic to attend graduation alongside the current year鈥檚 graduands. Extra support was needed, and I was fully immersed in the graduation experience from the outset.
I now work in Education Policy and Quality (EPQ) in the Education Operations Directorate and continue to volunteer for both the winter and summer graduation ceremonies whenever I can. Graduation is such a joyful time for our students and their families, and it鈥檚 a privilege to help make their special day truly memorable. At the most recent ceremonies, I volunteered as part of the Seating Team and worked as a Pusher鈥檚 Assistant, a role I was doing for the first time. With excellent support from the Awards team, I helped ensure guests were seated correctly and that students were in the right order to cross the stage, contributing to the ceremony running smoothly.
Graduation is a wonderful occasion and represents the culmination of years of hard work and commitment from our students. It makes me proud to know that I鈥檝e played a part in their success at 91福利. The atmosphere in the Butterworth Hall just before a ceremony begins is electric, you can feel the excitement and adrenaline rippling through the auditorium. When the Vice-Chancellor declares the ceremony open and the audience erupts into an enormous cheer, it鈥檚 impossible not to smile from ear to ear.
Volunteering at graduation is always a highlight for me. It brings me closer to our students and their families, as well as colleagues from across the University. It鈥檚 a chance to celebrate everyone involved in our students鈥� journeys and to make connections, both old and new.鈥�
Michelle Kitchen, Operations and Projects Officer, Education Policy and Quality
鈥淲hen I joined the University 18 months ago a colleague suggested that the graduation ceremonies would be great events to be involved in. Working indirectly with students, who themselves are studying online, there are extremely few opportunities to engage directly. Attending student graduation provides a very powerful reminder on why doing what we do is so important and the very positive impact that it can have.
At the Winter graduation I took on two roles. For two of the ceremonies I was Seating Team Leader, and for the third I was a Pushers Assistant. As Seating Team Leader my role was to work with the team to ensure that the hall was set up correctly, with student name cards placed on the correct seats. The team is then responsible for assisting students in finding their correct seat and, most crucially, identifying any gaps to ensure that any student who do not attend are removed from the order of service before it begins. During the ceremony the team is responsible for ensuring the efficient flow of students to/from the stage so that they are presented in the correct order as their name is read out.
The excitement expressed by students when they first enter the Butterworth Hall always makes me smile. I am not sure what they are expecting but there are a lot of "oh wow鈥檚鈥� when students enter for the first time. One student was so taken aback he missed the first few steps down the stairs, fortunately I was able to catch him before he fell any further!
Volunteering provides an excellent opportunity to remind yourself of the impact that the University has, not just on the students but also their families and friends. It鈥檚 also a great way to meet and work with colleagues from across the University community. Making connections and gaining an increased understanding of other areas/roles/activities that are taking place beyond the departments that I regularly engage with has been enlightening.鈥�
Iain Gibson, Digital Learning Partnerships Manager, Flexible and Online Learning Division
Feel inspired and want to get involved? Summer graduations take place from 20-31 July 2026.
Sign up here and experience these very special days for yourself.