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Case Study

Simon Keogh

Simon applied to come to Sunderland when it was still a polytechnic but graduated from it as a university. Now 51-years-old, he is the successful financial director of a company, living in Northumberland with his wife and 15-year-old daughter. Looking back, he remembers his time in Sunderland with great fondness and pride.

"I was a pupil at St Robert of Newminster sixth form when I applied to what was then the Polytechnic. That was in 1989.

“I applied to do a HND in Business Studies at the poly but then ended up going on to do my BA in Accountancy and Business.

“To be honest it was all a great experience, I got to meet so many new people from so many different types of backgrounds.

“Sunderland is a unique environment because it is focused towards ‘real life’, it wants you to get a job at the end of the three years, and that was something I really needed.

“When I graduated in 1993, I went straight into a job as an accountant, which was incredible. I went on to work for a number of companies and am now a finance director.

“Back when I applied, there were a lot of changes happening, not just at the University, but in Sunderland in general. The city was changing, the University was building its new St Peter’s campus – there were a lot of big leaps forward.

“I now have a teenage daughter and I will be encouraging her to go to university, there’s still a lot of value in it.