Hard work pays off for determined family man
A former bricklayer has fortified the foundations for a career in construction having graduated with a first-class degree in quantity surveying at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).
Daniel Parkinson, 30, from Longridge Preston, achieved his educational goal while working full-time as a quantity surveyor for Balfour Beatty at Sellafield Ltd, West Cumbria.
The former St Cecilia RC High School and Preston College student also saw the birth of his two children while studying the course.
“If you had told the 15-year-old me who left school ready to start his first apprenticeship in bricklaying, that 15 years later I would be graduating from university with a first-class degree in quantity surveying, I would never have believed it,” Daniel explained.
“I am genuinely passionate about construction,” he added. “Over the years I’ve had a great grounding ‘on the tools’ but now I’m proud to graduate with this qualification and hopefully I can be an example for others to show that hard work pays off.”
"If you had told the 15-year-old me who left school ready to start his first apprenticeship in bricklaying, that 15 years later I would be graduating from university with a first-class degree in quantity surveying, I would never have believed it"
— Daniel Parkinson, new BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying graduate
During his BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying, Daniel juggling a hectic personal and professional life which involved working away from home and starting a family at the same time. The proud father added: “My son was born a day before one of my exams and my daughter arrived two and a half years later, just as I’d finished the course. It’s been a very busy few years for me, with a lot of late (and sleepless) nights but it’s all been worth it in the end.
“Some of my closest friends and family are also UCLan graduates so becoming part of the University’s alumni makes me feel very proud.
“I am genuinely grateful to have been able to complete this course, with the support of such great, patient and knowledgeable tutors, my employer for giving me the opportunity, and my family for always cheering me on and standing by me.”
And this isn’t the end of Daniel’s educational journey as he is now working towards realising his ambition of becoming a Chartered Quantity Surveyor.