Autumn graduation 2020

Our Autumn 2020 graduation ceremonies were held virtually due to the pandemic, between Monday 2 November and Thursday 5 November 2020, and streamed live via YouTube. They were designed to reflect our in-person ceremonies, including speeches from our Vice-Chancellor, President, College Orator, academic staff and alumni.

The Autumn 2020 ceremonies included graduates who would ordinarily have attended a graduation in Spring 2020.

View our Autumn Graduation 2020 playlist on YouTube.

Graduation Stories

Our graduates are amazing! Many of them overcome considerable barriers in order to progress through their studies to reach their graduation ceremony.

Here are just some of their stories - we celebrate their success and wish them the very best.

Struggle and strife pave the way to success

Demelza Honeyborne was born in Wales, taken to Liberia aged two years old and survived a 10-year civil war, physical assault and years out of education to go on to graduate with a degree in Psychology.

'I fell in love with Birkbeck the moment I began studying'

Patricia Bonifaz Carrillo arrived at Birkbeck without a formal qualification, but her desire and ambition to learn saw her complete the Higher Education Introductory Studies course and a BSc Business degree.

'I dedicate my MA to my late mother, who was my rock'

Carolyne Megan graduated last month with an MA in Digital Media Design after caring for her late mother throughout her degree.

'Doing this degree has completely changed my expectations of what I can do in the future'

Isabella Ghawi faced challenges during studying, including a brain tumour diagnosis, epilepsy and dyslexia. With the help of our Disability Service, she founded a student society and graduated with a BSc in Biomedicine.

'Without Birkbeck’s Disability Service, I wouldn’t have finished my degree'

Ryan Wilson recently graduated with a first in BSc Economic and Social Policy, after overcoming a number of adversities, including leaving school with no qualifications and becoming seriously ill after a drug trial went wrong.

'It was the best time of my life!'

Xiayan Zeng graduated with an MA in Screenwriting after spending a year in the UK to study, experience different cultures and meet new people.

'It took two pregnancies, a fierce fight against cancer and finally a pandemic, but I made it, I graduated!'

Carmen Cinque graduated in November with a BA Modern Languages degree.

Discovering the self-belief that never was

Oliver Victorio overcame a number of obstacles, including disability, financial hardship and lack of confidence to begin a degree at Birkbeck. He graduated in November with a BA Politics, Philosophy and History and a student prize.

'I gave birth to my daughter two days after submitting my final project'

Daniella Kroni graduated with a MSc in Human Resource Management. Daniella completed her Master’s whilst being pregnant, caring for a one-year-old child and working full-time.

Location, location, location

An epiphany led to Natalie Pulfer selling up her house, moving to London and embarking on a two-year MA Arts Policy and Management degree at Birkbeck.

'I’ve grown to love the UK just as much as Barcelona'

Alex Jimenez Mendoza graduated in November with a BSc Business Psychology degree.