Lynda Jones, Dr Jan Green and Tiffany Kite
Wrexham Glyndwr University has thrown its weight behind International Women’s Day.
Lynda Jones and Tiffany Kite are studying for the MSc Project Management and are among many students balancing parenthood with the pursuit of a higher education qualification.
They are encouraging other women concerned they might not be in a position to further their learning due to family ties to reach their potential and never give up on their dreams.
Tiffany worked for the Courts Service for 10 years before starting her degree.
She said: “I felt I could do more than just endorse driving licences but I’d had a child and it was convenient, the job was across the road from work.
“I was in a typical female scenario; there was never a right time so I made a decision to be good in my role and moved around the departments.”
Today’s International Women’s Day is a global event celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of females across the globe.
Tiffany added: “It wasn’t easy doing the study, I lost both of my parents and had another baby, a son. I used my degree to concentrate my thoughts away from the personal issues.
“Because of my focus I ended up getting a 1:1. I always knew I wanted to carry on studying, it was originally a means to get a better job, but I love learning and writing assignments.
“I saw the MSc Project Management course and started last year. Now I’ve got a job in project management and plan to use the qualification to progress even further. It’s still an issue that well-qualified women get paid less than men.”
North Wales Business School is active in helping women and girls to achieve their ambitions, which is one of the aims of International Women’s Day.
Dr Jan Green, MSc Project Management lecturer, said: “The stories our students tell us about their aspirations provide encouragement for anyone with an ambition – male or female. Education plays a valuable contribution in supporting the ambitions of individuals and businesses.”
Project Management student Lynda worked at a garage, progressing from receptionist to body shop manager over 10 years before learning she couldn’t have children, which pushed her to start a degree with the Open University.
She said: “I’m here now because I needed to improve my knowledge of business processes. I may move out of the sector and having a Masters’ qualification is a definite advantage.”
