Aberdeen University Graduations: Moray undergrad celebrates ‘a big week’ of life events

By Lottie Hood

July 6 2022, 5:00 pm

Chloe Irving has had a big week of celebrating major milestones. Picture by Kath Flannery.

A Moray woman is celebrating a “big week” of major milestones after getting engaged just days before her graduation.

Chloe Irving today accepted her degree in economics and international relations from Aberdeen University.

But at the weekend, she was given something even more special when her boyfriend Aaron Smith proposed during a picnic at Lossiemouth beach.

The 23-year-old – who was also celebrating her birthday too – said her now-fiance had been with her throughout her “whole university experience”.

Studying through Covid ‘felt weird’

After previously studying business at Moray College, Miss Irving discovered an interest in economics and was was drawn to the course at Aberdeen University.

While she felt like she “got the proper experience of university”, she admitted Covid made the teaching experience a little different.

She added: “The teaching online, doing presentations online which I suppose is less pressure but it’s still doing it online, felt weird and you don’t get to see the people in your classes so that was probably a hard thing .”

During her studies, Miss Irving, from Elgin, joined a few societies and became a secretary for the committee of Mary’s Meals society.

She said: “I’ve really enjoyed like being part of the Mary’s Meals Society at the university. I enjoyed meeting people through all the different events.

“It’s a charity organisation where we do fundraisers for children who are in education to provide the meals to ones in poverty.

“I’ve always liked doing charity aspects and I think the people in it are really warm and it’s just a fun aspect to do and I really enjoyed that.”