'I graduated from Gary Neville's university aged 61 after a devastating tragedy'

The day Judith Shaw’s mum Henrietta passed away, a part of her soul died with her.

The mum can barely remember those first few weeks. Engulfed in grief, hopelessness and despair, there were days she couldn’t even stand up.

The 61-year-old's world had crumbled and it felt like her life was over. But a suggestion from a friend would offer a light at the end of the tunnel – one that would see her land her dream career.

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Just under a year on from her mum’s death, Judith enrolled at, University Academy 92. The learning institution was co-founded by Lancaster University and members of the Class of '92, the Manchester United football players who won the 1992 FA Youth Cup, including Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil Neville and Nicky Butt.

The university, known as UA92, opened in Old Trafford in 2019 with a mission to make higher education accessible to all through its founding principles of accessibility, social mobility and inclusivity.

Though she worked as a foster carer for 30 years, Judith, from Withington, always had a passion for media and event planning.

After applying for the university at the end of 2020, she was accepted within days and started her BA Hons course in Media and Communications in January 2021.

Following three hard years of studying, Judith graduated in June 2023 and was even awarded the highest achievement award for the most transformational journey.

At the age of 61, she’s UA92’s oldest graduate yet.

Going forward, Judith aims to create a database of young photographers, videographers, journalists and content creators to give them the opportunity to work on the many projects she’s involved