Honorary graduates 2017
Faraday Fearnside
Faraday is a Marjon graduate who founded a not-for-profit organisation called Open Hearts Open Borders. Her organisation supports refugee groups by sending aid to places of need and by supporting refugees locally in the South West. She advocates positive change through education, awareness raising and community projects promoting integration. She also works as Specialist Study Skills Tutor and Mental Health Mentor for higher education students, Faraday battled a mental health condition to make her way to wellness, she says this taught her about "the importance of enjoying life and approaching everything with love in your heart" and we think she is a shining example of this.
Sean Bellamy
Sean is a champion of democratic education and was one of the founders of Sands School - The Alternative Face of Education, where he still teaches. Sands was the first school in the UK to be co-designed by students and staff, where via 'school meetings' every member of the community, regardless of age, status or experience, has an equal say in how the school is run.
Sean went on to found the International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC) and helped to launch The Phoenix Education Trust to support the voice of children and children's rights in schools across the UK.
Tom Daley
22-year-old Tom is one of the most recognised figures in world diving thanks, in part, to incredible achievements he made as a young competitor. He won the European 10m platform gold as a 13-year-old in 2008 and reached the Olympic final at the Beijing Olympics 2008, becoming Britain’s second youngest male Olympian of all time.
At London 2012, Tom scooped a bronze medal in the 10m Olympic platform event. In 2016 Plymouthian Tom was paired with Dan Goodfellow for the 10m men’s platform synchro competition. They won bronze at the 2016 FINA Diving World Cup and an Olympic bronze medal for the 10m synchro competition.
Tom is now a World Champion having secured the individual 10m platform gold medal at the World Championships last month.
Tom has been named BBC Young Personality of the Year three times and is now recognised as one of the sports best loved personalities.
Giselle Ansley
Giselle was a member of the gold medal winning GB hockey team at the Rio Olympics 2016 and holds an MBE for services to hockey.
Giselle first made her international debut in 2013 against South Africa. She then went on to compete for England in the women's hockey tournament at the 2014 Commonwealth Games where she won a silver medal and a Gold Medal at the European Championships in London 2015. Most recently she has returned from the 2017 World League with a Bronze medal.
Giselle plays for England Hockey and Surbiton Hockey Club. Born in Kingsbridge, Devon, Giselle formerly played for Plymouth Marjon Hockey Club. She remains a great supporter of hockey in Plymouth, she coaches here when she can and supported the successful bid to secure a second hockey pitch right here at Marjon.