Triple celebration for Peterborough family as three generations complete university at the same time

The Stephens family, whose family home is in Dogsthorpe, all completed their respective courses a few weeks apart in April and May and are planning on celebrating the good news properly, when restrictions allow.

In the meantime, Adele (53) and her children Shanygne (21) and Shanwayne (30), who are both former St John Fisher students, are all now looking forward to the next chapters in their lives and career.

Mum Adele, made the decision, last year, to take a distance learning course at the University of Portsmouth as a way to further her careers.

She has worked with the probation service since 2006 in different administrative roles but decided to take the opportunity to pursue her studies and with her BA (Hons) in Community Justice. Alongside her work-based National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) she has also been completing, she is now on-track to become a probation officer herself.

Meanwhile, Shanygne is looking forward to getting started on her Masters course in Physician Associate Studies at St George’s University in London after completing her BSC (Hons) in Biomedical Science at Anglia Ruskin University.

Adele’s son, Shanwayne added to the family success by graduating from Buckinghamshire New University in Organisational Capability development.

Adele said: “I’m really proud of them both and looking forward to their graduation ceremonies.

“We are a really close-knit family so all finishing together and having the chance to celebrate as a family is really special.”

While Adele is using her degree to further her career in the probation service and Shanygne is continuing her studies in the medical profession, Shanwayne is planning to use his degree skills to help him to become a better leader.

The course has been designed specifically for members of the UK Armed Forces to help recruits bolster their knowledge and develop their career prospects.

Shanwayne works full-time in the RAF but is perhaps better known for being a member of Jamaica’s bobsleigh team and has been seen severarl with teammates training on the streets of the city.

He is permitted time off work to pursue the sport and in the current off-season, is focusing on his strength and other power-based activities.

Qualifying for the Winter Olympics in Beijing next year, where the teams are looking to medal, begins in October and that will see the two and four man teams travel out to North America to tackle some of the world’s most famous tracks such as Lake Placid in New York and Whistler in Canada.

He said: I started the course two years ago through the military as part of my advanced learning credits and have been studying part-time via distance learning.

“I work full-time in the RAF and they give me time-off to compete;I’ll be going back to work after the games.

“Qualifying for Beijing starts towards the end of the year and we’re feeling good, so fingers crossed.

“The leadership skills I have been learning will help me to be a better man and a better leader and that helps in sport too. As part of a bobsleigh team, you have to work together and be on the same page for four years leading up to an Olympics and that can be tough.

“I started my studies quite late but feel good now I’m all finished. I’m proud of the rest of the family too, it’s quite an achievement.

“For mum to go back to education is brilliant and be successful, the older you become the harder it is to do.”