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Graduation week at the University of Winchester got off to a rousing start on Tuesday with two inspiring speeches from the recipients of Honorary awards.
One Show presenter Roman Kemp and FGM campaigner Shamsa Sarawe received their honours at separate ceremonies held in Winchester Cathedral.
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Shamsa Sharawe (pictured above) an activist who has devoted her life to campaigning against female genital mutilation (FGM) gave a stirring address after receiving her Honorary Fellowship at a graduation ceremony for the Faculty of Law Crime and Justice.
Her message to her audience was: “If you see injustice, it’s your duty to speak otherwise your silence is violence…”
The 31-year-old mother of one who graduated with a degree in Policing and Criminal Investigation last year championed the importance of education.
“Change is not going to come if we do not have education. We have to educate, our relatives, our friends and the wider community,” said Shamsa. “That’s our duty as human beings.”
Shamsa was a victim of FGM at the age of six in in Somalia, the nation of her birth. She is the founder of, Charity of Peace, to help FGM survivors. She also works to help British citizens subjected to "honour-based violence" abroad.
“I’m so grateful for my work to be recognised,” she said. “I hope other survivors can take inspiration from this.”
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Popular TV and radio presenter Roman Kemp (pictured with Vice-Chancellor Professor Sarah Greer) has become an advocate for mental health issues since the suicide of a close friend.
He received acclaim for his TV documentaries Roman Kemp: Our Silent Emergency and The Fight for Young Lives. He has also released the book Are You Really OK? based on his own life and mental health journey and is a trustee of the mental health charity Joe’s Buddy Line.
In recognition of this work Roman received an Honorary Doctorate at Tuesday's ceremony.
However, he told his audience: “I’m not here to talk about mental health and suicide because it’s a day for your celebration.”
Roman said the graduates could all breathe “a sigh of relief”. “We have a perception that this is when life gets tough -it’s not. School and university are the hardest part of life. It’s down to you now got out and be the person you want to be.”
He said happiness was not about chasing success and it was different for everyone. “Buying your dream house or car might be your idea of happiness but it could be maintaining the friendships you have made here or being a good sister or brother.
“Once you understand what your idea of happiness is, your happiness will improve tenfold.”
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Smile please... it's your big day
Tuesday was the first of four days of graduations this week. It was also a first for two new Pro-Chancellors, leading Winchester businessman Mohamed Bakhaty and Maggie Carver, a former chair of Ofcom and co- founder of the Jewish heritage project, Licoricia of Winchester, who were making their debuts at the lectern.
Another first came in the form of a short film shown before the ceremony featuring messages of good luck from academic staff which ended with a reminder to graduates to ‘drop by any time’ from the University’s new Chancellor Hugh Dennis.
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Looking up... Graduates pose for a triple selfie