Welcome to the Class of 2024

Jonny Brownlee (History 2012; Hon LLD 2013)

Naga Munchetty (English Literature and Language 1997)

Liangtong Lu (MA Design 2018)

Class of 2024, listen up: Life is like the London Underground—there will be delays and wrong turns, but eventually, you’ll reach your destination. Go forth and be someone who dares to dream, dares to fight, and dares to persevere. Through your hard work, create a legendary story that is uniquely yours.

Yiyan Cang (Law 2018)

Congratulations on your graduation! May your future be filled with success and happiness, and may your journey through life be as rewarding as your time here has been.

Siqi Liu (Human Resource Management 2014)

Graduation is not the end, but a new starting point. Now you may be anxious about work, may be happy for success, or may be reluctant to leave. But the future seems to be still uncertain. In addition, you must do a good job in career and life planning.

Robin Boardman (Politics 1983)

Make sure you keep in touch with your fellow students. It's easy to rush out into the big wide world without thinking about how much you'll miss people you've spent three years with, so make sure you don't leave it too long to make contact again. Also, don't sit back and think you've done the hard bit. Unless you're lucky enough to walk straight into your dream job, your degree only opens doors if you put the effort into banging on them.

Florence Nagaratnam (English 1996)

Congrats. Keep an open mind. Think out of the box. Be honest, sincere and tough. Work hard.

Christopher Lee (Geography 1980)

Have confidence in your ability. You have learnt more than you realise by your experience of gaining a degree at Leeds. You are in work along time, it’s a marathon not a sprint. Learn from the setbacks that will inevitably occur in your future journey. Be proud of what you have achieved.

Colin Jones (Mechanical Engineering 1970)

You will never forget your graduation and indeed your time at Leeds but remember it’s a springboard. What you achieve in work and how you ethically approach your career and how you treat others is what will ultimately define you. Good luck for your future.

Jonathan Sharp (Chinese Studies 1967)

Don't be afraid to aim high. Studying Chinese at Leeds was a genuine life-changer for me. It set me on my 30-year career as a foreign correspondent reporting top news stories in more than 30 countries. The best advice I received on becoming a journalist was: Learn to write well and have a lot of common sense.

Oli Lindsay (MMath Mathematics 2013)

Don't doubt your abilities in the real-world workforce, you'll be surprised!

Jieying Wu (MSc Business Psychology 2019)

Please remember, the meaning of life is not only about achieving goals but also about savoring the process. Cherish every moment and appreciate the beauty and happiness in life. 毕业快乐，愿你所愿皆能如愿！

Liz Kingett (MA Applied Translation 2016)

There's no job that doesn't teach you something. Even if you don't like your first job, it will help you to learn what you're looking for in a career, by teaching you what you don't enjoy.

James Story (Cinema & Photography 2012)

I'd recommend specialising as early as possible and getting really good at one thing in particular - good enough for people to rely on you for it. This will make you comfortable and confident in your value while you broaden your skills in the future.

Katherine Jones

Congratulations! Follow your dreams and don’t give up – even if someone tries to shatter your confidence. Just do your best and prove them wrong.

Sarah Arthur (1988)

Congratulations to all the graduates. We loved our time at Leeds – 35 years on and four housemates just back from a week’s holiday together. Keep an open mind and let your knowledge, experiences and friendships help you as you all build your future lives.

Wentao Guo (MSc Materials Science and Engineering 2022)

Happy graduation! All the best wishes to all graduates! I hope you find your own path and achieve your dreams. Welcome to the big family.

Shona Nutter (Classical Civilisations 1999)

Don't get disheartened if it takes a while to find a job - it will take effort.

Even 25 years ago, I applied to 100 to get 10 interviews to get two offers. It's often a numbers game, especially in competitive industries (I work in PR/marketing)!

Tasha Bialecki (Physics 2022)

Graduating is scary, especially if you're not sure what's next for you, but try to trust the process. I had no idea where my career would go after my undergraduate at Leeds, but three years later and I'm doing my PhD at another incredible institution. You will find the path that's meant for you!

Sometimes it just takes longer than you think, don't compare your journey to others. Also, try to let go of things that don't bring you joy. Life's to short to hold onto what doesn't serve you.

Congratulations on your graduation!! Try and get some rest, and best of luck for the future.

Hongru Chen (Advanced Computer Science 2023)

Dear friends, there are many things in the world that are worth giving a try. I sincerely hope that you won't get trapped in a fixed way and just conform to the norms. Why not go out and embrace the different possibilities of life? In the end, I have struggled with myself for a long time, but now I'd rather just be myself.