Student life in Bangor

Law graduate hopes to help improve maritime safety

A graduate from the School of Law, who spent her summers at sea, hopes to use her degree to improve maritime safety.

Image fo Chaynee Chaynee Joanna Hodgetts, 21 from Birmingham, came to Bangor to study Ocean Sciences as it was the only UK University to have its own sea-going ship, the Prince Madog. After her first year, Chaynee decided to transfer to the second year of the Law degree at the School of Law.

She now hopes to combine both interests as she graduates with an Upper Second Class Honours degree. She said,

“It’s a great feeling to be graduating. I hope to continue at sea and with my research and to combine my professional experience and academic research in maritime matters and the law to help improve maritime safety.”

When asked about the highlight of the Law degree, she said, “As part of the extramural activities of my degree, I participated in the School of Law’s first Annual McLaren Moot competition. I took part in the final as Lead Counsel for my side of the case at Caernarfon Crown Court. I found this to be a great experience which complemented the theory side of the course very well.”

Transferring to study Law didn’t mean that Chaynee had turned her back on her passion for the sea. She explained,

“Outside of my degree course, I spent the summers at sea, as part of ongoing professional work in the Merchant Navy. Also, I am on 24/7 call as a Marine Mammal Medic, with British Divers Marine Life Rescue, the national marine animal stranding rescue organisation.”

Chaynee still works for the Merchant Navy and hopes to continue with her studies at the School of Law. She added,

“I will be continuing my research in the subject of criminal law and marine fatal accidents in October for the LLM Research degree.”