Student flies in from honeymoon to graduate

Last week (Thursday July 20), she graduated from the University of Bradford with a Master’s in Sport Physiotherapy, just hours after returning from her honeymoon.   

“It feels surreal, all at once starting a new chapter of my life now as a married woman with a degree," she said. 

Amanta and her husband Damon, 23, tied the knot on Friday, 7 July, in York, in front of a small group of family and friends.   

"It's been a crazy few hours. We've only had two hours of sleep before this ceremony. But, I wouldn't miss it for the world. Getting my degree is so important to me. I've got a frame with me on to put my degree into it straight away to honour it." 

Receiving her Master’s degree in Sport Physiotherapy marks the culmination of a life-changing experience at university, one that included Covid lockdowns, becoming president of the netball society and various extracurricular activities like being a student ambassador through out her years at university. 

Amanta moved from Latvia to Leeds when she was 10 and did her A-levels at Elliott Hudson College, Leeds, before joining the University of Bradford in 2018.   

It was during Amanta’s first year on the Master’s degree that Covid struck and learning went online.    

She said: “I'm sort of that person who enjoys interacting with lecturers, so it was challenging to have classes online, especially in a very practical course like physiotherapy. Learning anatomy online was challenging and I struggled initially to get it into my head.    

“The hardest thing about going to university during a pandemic was worrying about how to best use my study time. What got me through was knowing that having a degree would allow me to do whatever I wanted afterwards, regardless of whether I stayed in physiotherapy or not.”   

During her second year though, when classes were half and half online and in-person, Amanta was able to go on placement at the university’s physiotherapy clinic ahead of taking on placements elsewhere.    

She said: “My placement at the university’s clinic inspired me. Then going out to external placements really affirmed my desire to do physiotherapy and made me realise I had chosen the right course.”   

Amanta has now got a job at general hospital in North Yorkshire as rotational physiotherapist.