It was be a double celebration for part-time degree student Jackie Domingo from Cwmgors, near Ammanford, on Monday, July 19, when she graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in Humanities from Swansea University’s Department of Adult Continuing Education (DACE).
The sixty-one year old artist and poet also be raised a glass with fellow graduates as DACE celebrates 20 years of its part-time BA (Hons) Humanities degree.
Jackie, who was born in Madrid, Spain, and grew up in Hertfordshire, moved to Wales in 1989, where she made her home.
She is one of more than 360 people who have graduated from the Department’s Humanities programme, which is offered at the University and in community venues throughout Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.
She said: “I had a leaflet through the door, which promoted American History studies at Swansea and I thought why not give it a go, so I decided to enrol.”
However, the devastating events of 9/11 in the US made Jackie put aside her plans and she spent most of the following year painting, selling her work, and raising money totalling £50,000, for the victims and their families through charity auctions in London.
Jackie received two letters of thanks for her selfless efforts – one from New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and one from William Farish, the US Ambassador in London.
Jackie subsequently enrolled and started her part-time degree studies at Amman Valley Enterprise – later becoming Canolfan Maerdy – in Tairgwaith, near Ammanford, in 2003.
“I remember that I felt quite anxious when I first joined,” she said.
“Fortunately the staff and tutors were really welcoming and my initial fears over stepping inside the classroom were quickly alleviated.”
Jackie was also encouraged by her fellow students. She added: “Everybody had different backgrounds with some having more qualifications than others. We used the collective knowledge and life experiences to our advantages and helped each other get through any difficult aspects of the course. Fortunately we all passed!”
Professor Colin Trotman, Head of DACE, said: “Good adult education is life-changing. We are very pleased to have been a part of Jackie’s progress. DACE operates in 15 community-based centres across the South West Wales area, but we intend to provide more opportunities for more adult students by expanding our Community University programme in the geographical sense and in relation to the subjects we wish to deliver.”
Jackie now regularly acts as a student ambassador at DACE open days where she encourages other prospective students to consider learning whatever their age or background.
Jackie has also sat on the Departmental Student Staff Liaison Committee, which acts as a link between students and the University.
She was also a finalist for the Senior Learner Award at the Neath Port Talbot Learner Awards in 2009.
While she has not stopped furthering her knowledge since the completion of her degree course work, Jackie is currently considering enrolling for a Master’s Degree or putting some of her new skills into practise.
“I completed my BA Honours Degree in Humanities which covered American, British, French German and Russian History, Psychology and Literature. I’m really keen to put this knowledge into practise – perhaps by continuing with a book of poems and giving the proceeds to charity. We’ll just have to see which comes first,” she added.
For more information about Swansea University Graduation Week visit http://www.swansea.ac.uk/graduation/.
