No one can take away your dreams, Kirsty Wark tells graduands
Two inspiring individuals were awarded honorary degrees as Glasgow Caledonian University's summer graduation ceremonies continued at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall.
Broadcaster Kirsty Wark received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters, and former Glasgow City Council Chief Executive Annemarie O’Donnell OBE received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of the University as they joined 1,132 graduands.
An award-winning broadcaster and writer, Kirsty is the longest-serving presenter of the BBC’s Newsnight programme, spanning three decades. She has interviewed countless politicians and cultural figures, and her outstanding contribution to journalism and broadcasting has been recognised with numerous awards, including BAFTA’s Journalist of the Year and an Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting award from BAFTA Scotland.
She told graduands: “It’s a great honour to be here to see all of you graduate after your years of hard work and sacrifice to pursue your dreams. Congratulations too to your families, care-givers and friends for all their support – I’m sure today is great for you too.
“I truly am in awe of your achievements that we are marking here today. Many of you will have been working one, maybe two jobs, to be able to earn enough money to pursue your studies. I’m sure some of you will have been exhausted and fed up at times, but here you are, and it’s been worth it.
“Some of you will have made life-long friends, perhaps great romances. If you’re leaving Scotland I hope you take great memories with you.
“Remember, no one can ever take your dream from you.
“Thank you so much to Glasgow Caledonian University for conferring this honorary degree on me.”
Formerly Glasgow City Council’s top official, Annemarie served the city for over 30 years, including nearly a decade as Chief Executive. She focused on inclusive economic growth and regeneration programmes, working closely with partners across sectors. In 2022, she was awarded an OBE for services to local government.