A father and daughter duo graduated in tandem yesterday.
Jennifer Conlan, 22, and Robert Conlan, 56, received the same degree in Mechanical and Offshore Engineering.
The pair, who live in Westhill and Strichen respectively, didn’t only study together – but they also work together at Subsea 7 as designers.
Mr Conlan said: “My son Andrew completed the same degree in 2016 and when Jennifer was heading to RGU, I thought if I was ever going to do it, then now was the time.
“Jennifer and I always had a good relationship, which I think has strengthened as a result of this experience.
“Juggling studies with full-time employment is not easy, but with a bit of determination – and a very supportive wife – I was able to make it happen.
“I mostly studied and attended lectures in the evenings and with the support of the university’s video capture system, I was able to work as normally as possible.”
Jennifer will continue to work for for Subsea 7 now that she’s graduated, but will be progressing from working as a designer to an engineer in the structures department, which she says she “can’t wait” to start.
She said: “This course was a lot of hard work but to achieve a distinction at the end made it all worth it.
“We both need to thank Dr Sha Jihan from the school of engineering, without him this achievement would not have been possible.
“Studying alongside my dad was a great experience, we were always there to help and support each other throughout, and I can honestly say that there is no one I would rather be graduating with than him.”
