21 June 2007

Graduation delight for Dundee friends

A pair of Dundee friends will reach the end of their University studies together when they graduate this week - an occasion they have had cause to wonder if they would ever see.

Alison Bastiaen (48) and Karen Golding (43) are both graduating from the University of Dundee today (Thursday June 21st) with an MA in Arts and Social Sciences.

The friends both enrolled on the evening part-time degree programme offered by the University, but by the time they started their studies Alison had suffered a recurrence of breast cancer and was on a course of chemotherapy treatment.

"I originally had cancer about ten years ago, and then it came back around five years ago, in the year before I started at the University," said Alison.

"I have always been under the threat of chemo, that’s just the way it is. I have had times during my course when I have been in a lot of pain or been undergoing treatment and I have had to delay courses, but the University has been extremely supportive and flexible throughout."

"It has been really good doing it at the same time as Karen as well. We have been friends for a long time, and I think we have helped each other along the way."

Karen said Alison had been just as much of a help to her as the other way around.

"Coming to university as a mature student is something which I think can be quite an unusual experience, so having a friend there with you, someone to share the experience with and bounce thoughts and ideas off, has been really good," said Karen.

"Obviously Alison’s cancer gave us all something more to think about but we both have that attitude that you never know what is coming next in life anyway, so you get on and do the things that you want to do."

Alison said that despite having to deal with cancer she had remained positive throughout and succeeded in getting her degree - and in other areas of her life - by continually setting herself goals.

"You have to have a positive attitude and what I have done is to keep focussing on the next thing I have coming up," said Alison. "I work for Cancer Research UK as well and I’ve been involved in organising fundraising events for them so there’s always something for me to look forward to."

Links with the University will continue for both families - Alison’s son Lachlan is currently also a student at the University and Karen’s son Polok starts on a Law degree at Dundee in September.

Lily Forrester, director of the part-time studies MA programme, said Alison and Karen represented "the best qualities students can bring to their studies in terms of commitment and a willingness to tackle new spheres of knowledge."

"Both Alison and Karen have covered a wide range of modules from Literature and Philosophy to Maths and History approaching all of these with positive enthusiasm. To do this against the background described above is surely an inspiration to other students," said Lily.

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk