Mom and daughter graduate together after years of late-night study sessions

By James Connolly

A mom who returned to university in her 60s has graduated alongside her daughter after years of late-night study sessions together.

Elaine Shaw, 63, and daughter Anysia Padgett, 24, collected their degrees together from the University of Bradford after supporting each other through their studies.

The pair even attended some of the same classes, would discuss seminar reading and swap ideas at their family home in Bradford, West Yorks.

Anysia achieved first-class honors in BSc Archaeology, while Elaine secured a 2:1 in BA (Hons) Heritage and Archaeology.

Anysia said, "It's quite unique to graduate with your mom and not something you hear about very often.

"Most people think it’s cool when I tell them I went to University with my mom.

"It's been nice because we understand exactly what each other has been going through.

"We could discuss seminar reading together before classes and bounce ideas off one another.

"It was like having a study group wherever you went."

Anysia initially completed a one-year foundation course at Bradford before beginning a degree in Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology.

But she left university in November 2022 and took a year away from her studies.

Her passion for the subject was reignited after she joined Elaine on an archaeological dig in Somerset in the summer of 2023.

She then returned to Bradford and enrolled in the archaeology course she has now completed.

Anysia said her mom's encouragement persuaded her not to abandon university altogether.

She said, "There was a point when I didn't want to come back to University, but my mom really encouraged me to finish my degree.

"When I returned, I was joining a new class and didn't know many people, so having her there gave me confidence.

"I'm glad I came back and completed it because I think I would have regretted not finishing."

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Elaine began her four-year course through Clearing in 2022 after previously working as a primary school teaching assistant and legal secretary.

With her children grown up and her partner Paul having been made redundant during the pandemic, she decided the time had come to pursue her longstanding interest in history.

Elaine said, "I'd always been interested in history and historic buildings.

"My children were older and I wanted to do something different for myself.

"I thought if I was going to do it, the time was now. You're never too old to learn."

Elaine, who now works full time as a cemetery registrar at Undercliffe Cemetery, said studying with Anysia provided invaluable support during the toughest parts of the course.

She said, "It feels very special.

"We motivated each other through the difficult times.

"University study is intense and there were times when either of us might have felt like giving up, but having that close support made a huge difference."

The family already had strong links to the University of Bradford.

Elaine's son Saul, 26, previously completed an undergraduate degree in Film and TV Production and a master’s degree in Filmmaking there.

Her other daughter, Koren, 22, studied at another university.

Anysia now hopes to build a career working with museum collections.

During her studies, she completed a dissertation project with Bradford Museums, worked with herbarium collections and volunteered at Cliffe Castle Museum in Keighley.

She continues to volunteer at the museum while searching for a permanent role.

She said, "I'd love to work with museum collections.

"I'm continuing to volunteer while I look for opportunities and gain experience."

Anysia said completing their degrees together had brought her and her mom even closer.

She said, "We were close before, but spending so much time studying together has made us even closer. It’s something we’ll always be proud of."