Keeping Birmingham in the family

To many of our students, Birmingham comes to feel like home during the time they spend here. For some, this family feeling is strengthened by the decisions made by sons and daughters to follow their parent into a Birmingham degree.

Our Chancellor, Sandie Okoro, in fact, is in the middle of three generations of University of Birmingham students. She recalls: ‘My mum came here from Trinidad to study nursing at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on campus. She made such friends in Birmingham. She taught me that education is the key to a brighter future and, oftentimes, you need a lot of grit and determination. We can never take education for granted, but once we have it, it can never be taken away.

‘My son is studying criminology at the University and my goddaughter is studying law like I did - I told her Birmingham is one of the best places you can go. I’m going to get to see them both more and, best of all, I will get to give them their degrees when they graduate.’

Meet some of our other alumni who have keeping the University of Birmingham in the family across the past four decades.

Phil Barber (BA English and Drama, 1982); Kathryn Barber (BA French Language and Literature, 1981); Luke (BA French Studies and Mathematics, 2008); Livvy (BSc Mathematics, 2010); Abby (BSc Sports Science, 2010); and Poppy (BA Modern Languages, 2019) 

Phil and Kathryn Barber met at Birmingham as students in the 1980s. Years later, oldest child Luke decided to study here after a last-minute change of heart. He says: ‘I honestly didn’t want to go to Birmingham because of Mum and Dad’s history here, but I came to open day and really liked it.

A couple of years later, sisters Livvy and Abby also joined the growing family tradition, choosing Birmingham because of the quality of the courses in Mathematics and Sports Science – both also going on to become teachers like their mum.

Youngest daughter Poppy came to visit her big sisters on campus aged 10 and they bought her a ‘When I grow up I want to study at the University of Birmingham’ t-shirt. And 11 years after that, the whole family were back to watch her graduate.

Phil says, ‘We felt honoured to be a part of the ceremony and were delighted to see Poppy in all her glory’. Kathryn adds, ‘It was wonderful coming back to visit but I still walk around campus feeling like I haven’t read the right book or done enough work.’

Andrew Clements (BSocSci Public Policy and Administration, 1994) and Leah Clements (BSc Biological Sciences, 2024)

Leah says: ‘My dad, Andrew, graduated in 1994 with a degree in Public Policy and Administration. After hearing all about his time at the University of Birmingham (and after he gave me a personally guided campus tour as a teenager), I decided to follow in his footsteps.

'Three years later I graduated with a Biological Sciences degree and with a collection of my own memories. Graduating in the same hall as my dad, with him and my family in the front row, was a really special moment. We are now both proud Birmingham alumni and are definitely better off having gone to university here.’ 

Marie Griffiths née Coleman (BSc Psychology, 1995) and Max Griffiths (MSc Operational Research, 1993; PhD Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering, 1999)  

Marie says: 'Our son Joel is now in the 4th year of his Maths degree in Birmingham. We tried really hard not to influence his choice, but we were secretly very pleased. Joel is now about to take his finals after having a year out in industry last year. He’s thrived at Birmingham and will be taking up a job on a graduate training scheme in September.  

‘We’ve recently been to visit him again and took a trip down memory lane to the Dilshad for a famous curry - it’s 30 years since we met in Selly Oak at a house party, on the 17 March. That does make me feel old! We also explored campus and the new library and were able to see Max’s PhD was still there! We try hard not to reminisce all the time, but Joel would tell you that we fail miserably.'