Leeds Beckett University awards Honorary Doctorates to inspirational achievers

My name is Fabian Wagner, I'm a cinematographer and also a graduate of the Northern Film School. I think I started my course in September 2001, and then I did my masters here a couple of years later. I'm very grateful for all the things that have happened in my career since I've been to the Northern Film School.

I've been lucky enough to do various projects from films to TV. I mean, for me it was always about gaining as much experience as possible and learning as much as possible. When I got my first break as a main DP on a bigger show up here that was shooting in Bradford, and that was sort of the start of my more professional career.

Sherlock, you know, getting my first Emmy nomination from Sherlock. I then got Game of Thrones because the show runners on Game of Thrones, they love Sherlock and they particularly loved my episode. From that show came Justice League because Zack Snyder loves my Game of Thrones episodes. It's a very sort of lucky, but also, you know, you make your own luck. You put a lot of work into it to make things happen. I had a great time doing all these different jobs. All of those things have come together to I guess, get me to where I am.

One of the nicest things that I've done a few years ago was shooting The Crown together with my best friend, Sam Donovan, who's the director. And Sam and I met in Leeds back in film school, 20 years ago. I was shooting all of his short films. The fact that we've met here, we used to be kids with crazy big dreams. And then 20 years later, we're shooting The Crown together, which is obviously a big show. Together with Sam, and making that show was probably one of the best things I've experienced.

It's a tough industry. It's a very competitive industry. You really have to put in a lot of work, a lot of hours, but you also have to have the right attitude. I think that if you do as much as you can, you know the rest kind of hopefully comes by itself.

When I was starting out, I never really had anyone that I could go to and sort of ask for support or ask for help. What I've seen today here is just incredible. You know, when you're young and when you're starting out, you can get carried away quite easily by wanting to mould into other things, stick to who you are. I think that will always take you the furthest.

If you have an idea for something, I want you to tell me because just because I think that might be the best thing, that doesn't mean it is the best thing, so it's about what we can all do together and create something and i think that's something that you learn at film school or in uni, something that you really want to get into as much as possible. And I think if you can find the enjoyment in that and grow that passion together, I think that's when success eventually comes.

For anyone who comes here, it will really give you the best starting point that you can hope for. To receive an honorary degree is just something to be honest I've never expected. It's something that I feel extremely proud of and then… I wish, I wish my mum was still alive because she would be very proud right now and it means a lot.

My name is Jason Pitter, Queen's Counsel. I'm a barrister. When I was in my mid-teens and not really sure which way I wanted to go, we had a great sense of injustice in terms of interactions with the state and authority. And you had to ask yourself whether that was because of injustice in fairness, racism, discrimination, which then had an influence on my decision ultimately to study law.

When I first started to study and I went to King's College in London, I realised how different I was. When I came to practise law as a barrister, I was probably the very first black pupil who had gone through that route of university, then into pupillage, and it took some time before I was able to find myself and find my voice and become confident with being who I am.

When I started, you very much had that typical profile of person who would be a barrister, typically a man, typically middle class, typically white. The real difficulties I felt I faced were trying to tread that line of being true to myself. To find a way that somebody like me would fit in. And then you overcome that idea, which we call imposter syndrome now. Finding a way to reassure yourself that you are as good as everybody else. Because I've experienced the difficulties and the hurdles, I support people from backgrounds like myself.

I did a talk once and I was disappointed to hear that a number of the experiences were some of the very things I had gone through, I was very keen then to lend my support not just financially, but also to be visible. It's all very well people giving opportunities, but there's no point if you don't help somebody understand how best to take advantage of it.

I went to a great university, but I was still, in so many respects fumbling around in the dark, so I'm really keen on us turning on the light switch when we let them into the room, let them see how they can work their way through and succeed.

I think everybody should feel obliged to give back, helping where you could support financially going to schools, going to youth groups, helping with the coaching, helping with the organisation, even if it's down to just basic encouragement and saying to people, if you have confidence in yourself, you work hard enough, you might be able to achieve your dream.

I sit as part of the Bar Council's Equality, Diversity and now Inclusion Committee, so it hopes to tackle that stereotyped view of what a barrister should be. One of the key aspects of any justice system must be that people who are interacting with it, feel properly represented and by a profession which reflects society across the board.

To receive the honorary doctorate. I just felt really privileged and honoured. It was never anything which I would have even contemplated receiving. And straight away I had those thoughts of what would... what would the folks have thought about it. I know my parents were proud of what I had achieved. My dad, although he wasn't somebody who... it's a traditional Caribbean thing, he wouldn't say often but, when he did it, it meant so much. Something my dad always said to me, and I've used it as an ethos, he said: "Be true to yourself. That means you are hopefully able to back who you are. Don't ever view yourself as being better than anybody else. But... always remember there's nobody that's better than you either."

My name is Michelle Carney, I am the founder and CEO of Purpose Driven Impact. I studied for MBA Honours in Leisure Studies and graduated in 1994. Leeds Beckett is a really friendly place. I really liked the course, the campus of Headingley is absolutely beautiful. Every 18, 19, 20-year-old should experience the pride of coming out after three or four years with a qualification and knowing that you've really achieved, not only academically but in terms of life and friendships and general experience.

I started my career volunteering in Leeds Sports Development. I went over to America and worked with people with brain injuries and challenging behaviours. I worked in the Learning Disability Service and got my dream job in Sports Development in Stockport. I was then the Chief Executive Officer of Special Olympics in Great Britain. I completely restructured and transformed the whole charity. My favourite bit was meeting our athletes. By giving young people with a learning or intellectual disability, the right opportunity, the support, amazing things can happen.

I set up my own consultancy called Purpose Driven Impact. I was lucky enough to be contacted by the Chair of Comic Relief to develop a partnership with Birmingham 2022, the Commonwealth Games, and the future of Sport Relief, to develop a true legacy and ultimately transform millions of lives. It's a passion and a passion for the athletes.

Harrison, his parents were told when he was born he would never walk, talk or sit up. In Abu Dhabi, he won a gold medal in judo. Niall Guites, he was pretty much non-verbal. Through the right support, he came up with this idea, he's drawn over 150 stadiums, raised over six and a half thousand pounds. Tasha Sweeney-Meadowcroft, she came to me as a 16-year-old, when I said, "Let's create an apprenticeship for you," and she's now supporting and creating programmes for young women, just like her.

A mentor of mine, Professor Margaret Talbot, she said, "Michelle, you have a voice and you should never be afraid to use it. Say what you think, because, you know, the more we do that, the more we get change." I used to say, "How do I thank you?" And she just said to me, "Pay it forward." Somebody did it for her many years ago. She did it for me. And that is my duty to pay it forward. And for all those people to continue to pay it forward. And that's how we get great change across the world.

When I got the news, I was being conferred this Honorary Doctorate, it blew my mind. I'm really humbled to have been recognised for my passion. I hope that I can help inspire a young Michelle or you know, young Michael to say: "Actually, you know, anything is possible."

My name is Ed Anderson, and I have the honour and the privilege of being the Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire. I came to Leeds in 1969 to what was then Leeds polytechnic, now part of Leeds Beckett University, and I basically fell in love with the city. I’ve nothing but praise for the teachers on that course. Without exception, they were absolutely brilliant. I was lucky enough to be elected president of the Students’ Union and I learned so much in that time. It's just the most extraordinary experience.

I ended up being on the senior management team at Leeds City Council for seven years, but I also had a career in airports. I had 10 years running Leeds Bradford Airport up to 2007. It was a very exciting time. Every day was different and the size of the airport, in terms of the number of destinations that people were able to fly to trebled during that time. And we attracted Jet2, to set up their base and their home at Leeds Bradford Airport.

Towards the end of my time the airport was sold. Leeds Council was one of the major shareholders and they invested in the Leeds Arena where we are today. So whenever I go to an event at the Leeds Arena or on this day, when I'm here to receive my honorary degree, I always think, well, maybe this wouldn't be here if that money hadn't been generated from the sale.

I was appointed by the previous Lord Lieutenant to be a deputy in 2016 and then in 2018, it culminated in a recommendation by the Prime Minister to the Queen to appoint me as Lord Lieutenant. Lord Lieutenant is a position which goes back to the reign of Henry VIII. It was very much a military appointment in those days, and hence the military uniform. The duties of a Lord Lieutenant to be the Queen's representative in the county and obviously to uphold the dignity of that position and to represent the monarch at events.

I do feel really honoured to be receiving an honorary degree. I worked with someone called Victor Watson who is an honorary graduate of this university, and he encouraged me, actually when I was working at the airport, to apply for non-executive positions and he was someone who I really looked up to. He was a remarkable person, and I feel incredibly proud actually to be receiving an honorary degree when he and others have had that honour in the past.

It's a sort of culmination of some 52 years since I first arrived in Leeds. I'm so indebted to all the people who made those early years in Leeds so enjoyable, but also, you know that I learnt so much at that time, so to now come back and receive an honorary degree, it's just a fantastic honour and privilege.