Yousif Rayamajhi was among nearly 1,000 graduates from the Faculty of Creative Arts, Technologies and Science who arrived at the University’s Putteridge Bury campus to collect their degrees this week.

Awards were presented to some of the highest achieving students including Saber Farag (Institute of Engineering & Technology Prize) and Aparna Shil (MSc Biotechnology Prize), as well as Business Information Systems graduate Yousif, who was presented with the Outstanding Achievements at Undergraduate Level accolade for his dissertation.

The dissertation was based on a project enabling small business customers to book appointments on an app which delivers e-mails straight to the firm – containing dates and times to be directly saved to their calendar.

Yousif, who achieved a First Class Honours, was “delighted” and put his result success down to “good time management” – especially following becoming a dad in November.

“Life events are always going to happen, and I realised setting aside specific times for University work would give me the best possible chance of achieving a good grade.

“I’ve really worked hard for my Degree, especially as becoming a parent has made studying that little bit more challenging to get done, but I’ve received great support from my lecturers at the University of Bedfordshire and my friends.”

The 23-year-old came up with his app idea while working part-time as an O2 sales advisor, where a small business owner and customer was struggling to field her clients’ queries over the phone.

The Londoner has now been accepted onto a leading telecommunications company’s graduate scheme, which starts in September.

Alongside the students receiving their degrees, a “very proud” Sally-Ann Wilson (pictured) was presented with an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration for her outstanding contribution to media and broadcasting.

Sally-Ann used her acceptance speech to tell the media students that she was concerned for the future global democracy of journalism and called on all Bedfordshire’s graduates to use “sound editorial judgement” in their future careers.

“In a crowded media space we must be able to focus, select and choose. The true test for any open and trusted public media space must remain on public interest and public value.

“For media to be truly democratic we must mediate fairly and edit wisely; and, above all else, you must listen.”

Unfortunately Luton Town Vice Chairman and Rotarian Jack Sapsworth MBE, who was due to receive an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration for his “outstanding contribution to fundraising and charity work”, was ill and unable to collect his award.