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School of Welsh

Mother of four graduates after six years

Image of EirianAfter six long years of hard work, farmer’s wife Eirian Alwen Jones from Llannefydd in Denbigh is celebrating as she graduates with a First Class Honours Degree at Bangor University.  

Eirian, a mother of four and a mature student at 48, started her BA (Hons) Degree in Welsh and Welsh History back in 2003 after completing an Access Course at Coleg Llandrillo. She said,

"It’s a relief to achieve such a great result after all these years and all the miles I travelled up and down the A55."

To continue to meet the needs of her four children, Eirian decided to study the course part time. “Her commitment and determination has certainly paid off” said Professor Gerwyn Wilaims, Head of the School of Welsh. He added,

"I very much admire Eirian’s accomplishment. It’s not easy to stick to a degree over the course of six years – it asks for a tremendous amount of commitment and determination. The excellent result is proof of her ability to balance family life with her academic studies." 

Eirian insists that her success wouldn’t have been possible without the help and support she received at home and at university. She said,

"Combining the lectures with my children’s needs was the biggest challenge for me but I was able to overcome this with the help of my family and my mother in law. The lecturers and administrative staff in both Schools were also very supportive."

Eirian also won the Blanche Elwy Hughes Award for the best dissertation on Welsh History.