23 June 2009

Double celebration for family of twin graduates

Susan Hainey will graduate at 10am on Wednesday, June 24th, 2009. Kirstin will graduate at 2pm on the same day.

Graduation is always a special moment for the proud relatives of graduates, but a Fife family have a double reason for celebration this year.

Identical twins, Kirstin and Susan Hainey (22), originally from Kirkcaldy, will don gowns and receive their degrees from the University of Dundee when the institution begins its annual Graduation Ceremony series on Wednesday, June 24th.

Susan obtained an honours degree in Psychology, and will graduate during the morning ceremony, while Kirstin will receive her honours Scots Law degree that afternoon.

The family already had a strong connection with the University, as the girls father, Tom, is a Town Planning graduate, while their mother, Christine, received her nursing and midwifery qualifications at Dundee. In addition, their aunt Sandra Hainey, is a lecturer within the University’s Fife Campus at Kirkcaldy.

Kirstin and Susan were born in Kirkcaldy and attended school in Jedburgh, Elgin Pencaitland in East Lothian, and Kirkcaldy before embarking upon their University careers. The pair shared a flat in Dundee’s Arklay Terrace for the majority of their studies, and largely managed to avoid sibling rivalry according to Susan.

'Generally we got on really well, but obviously there were a few minor fall-outs! It was good to be able to share with my sister though, and to go through university together.'

'We were studying completely different courses, so there wasn’t any competitiveness between us. We helped each other as much as we could and I’m really looking forward to us graduating together.'

Susan, the elder of the sisters by eight minutes, now intends to train as a primary school teacher, and will look for a job whilst going through the application process for the relevant postgraduate course.

After the summer, Kirstin will relocate to Edinburgh where she will study for her diploma in commercial law, and where she has a traineeship lined up when she completes her diploma.

She said, 'Going into first year it can be a bit nerve-wracking with so many new people, especially when you’re staying away from home for the first time, so it was great to be starting University with Susan and sharing with her.'

'It’s really nice that we’ll be graduating together, and my mum and dad are really excited about it. Both our grans will be there too, as well as our auntie, and partners, so it’s a big day for our family.'

Kirstin and Susan’s father was a regular visitor to the pair’s flat during their student years, although Susan suspects an ulterior motive.

'Our dad’s a big Dundee United fan so the fact we lived so close to Tannadice was convenient for him getting a parking space on match days!' she said.

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 38478
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk