High flying graduation guest to hand out awards at ceremony
SOUTH Essex College University Centre students will receive their degree awards this year from an inspirational pilot.
Mandy Hickson was the only female pilot on her Front Line Tornado Squadron, flying multimillion pound fast jets for the Royal Air Force.
She has operated in hostile environments, including patrolling the ‘No Fly’ zone over Iraq.
Year on year, the College invites great guest speakers to attend the annual graduation ceremony for their degree students and the RAF pilot, who was awarded a RAF flying scholarship at 17, is no exception.
Mandy said: “University played such a vital part in my journey to become a pilot in the Royal Air Force. The friends I made and the memories that I took away are still with me and I am so thrilled and honoured that I will be a small part of the graduates university memories.”
The Graduation ceremony will take place at the Cliffs Pavilion, Southend on Tuesday 16 October.
For more information about the College’s higher education courses, visit https://www.southessex.ac.uk/higher-education
