Graduation Tales | “The fact that it was difficult makes it even more rewarding”

This week, the International Convention Centre Wales in Newport will once again see thousands of our graduates cross the stage in their cap and gown. To celebrate, we are sharing the stories of some of our inspirational students.

Greg Hardman, from Maidenhead, is celebrating graduating with first-class honours from University of South Wales (USW), after returning to study as a mature student.

Working as Primary Schools Manager for Wigan Athletic Community Trust, Greg oversees the management and operations of the Trust’s provision to primary schools. The opportunity arose to apply for the BSc Community Football Coaching and Administration and he jumped at the chance.

Greg was determined to succeed having not applied himself as well as he could have done at school. However, returning to academia in your late thirties comes with its challenges. He attended lectures, residentials, and met assignment deadlines, all whilst juggling a full-time job and two young children at home.

He said: “My youngest was only around 7 months old when I started the course, so it was hard coming home from work, settling them to bed and then turning on the laptop. Spotify playlists and plenty of coffee got me through the late nights.

“My wife and children were so supportive throughout my studies when I had to disappear to do work at weekends or in the evenings. The kids were convinced that Daddy was studying at ‘Monsters University’, like their favourite Pixar film.”

Another challenge was that Greg has Crohn’s disease and became very ill whilst studying.

“I had the worst flare up in a decade,” he said.

“I couldn’t even walk from one side of the room to the other and was unable to work for two months. Having to attend so many hospital appointments for tests to try and find the right medication and just generally being wiped out, I thought that I might not meet my deadlines, but I did manage to submit on time.

“There was a silver lining though. At one of the residential visits to USW Sports Park, I could see a young lad was uncomfortable, so we got to chatting and he told me he’d just been diagnosed with Crohn’s too. It can be embarrassing to talk about it (especially when you’re young) and not many people know much about the disease. We formed a friendship from that point onwards.”

It was Greg’s sheer determination that resulted in him achieving the highest award. He said: “I really wanted to academically challenge myself. The fact that it was difficult makes it even more rewarding as I know how hard I worked for it; I’m really proud of myself.

“If the last three years has taught me anything, it is to back yourself.”

Robyn Pinder, Course Leader in Football Coaching, said: “Greg’s been a real asset to the programme. He’s worked extremely hard and has gone out of his way to support his peers. We’re extremely proud of the resilience and dedication he’s shown and will miss his presence at residentials, but cannot wait to celebrate with him and his family at graduation.”