- Stormzy has paid tribute to his mother by expressing his gratitude for receiving an honorary degree.
- He describes it as “very privileged and appreciative.”
- The honorary degree was given in celebration of the musician’s “great success in the fields of higher education, philanthropy, and extending participation.”
Stormzy has paid tribute to his mother by expressing his gratitude for receiving an honorary degree from the University of Exeter, which he describes as “very privileged and appreciative.”
The honorary degree was given in celebration of the musician’s “great success in the fields of higher education, philanthropy, and extending participation.”
‘Always share and support, elevate and help in whatever capacity we are able,’ he stated during his graduation speech on Tuesday.
When the 28-year-old grime artist remarked, ‘I’m moving up in the world,’ his fellow graduates burst out laughing. Now I’m a philanthropist.’
He said he couldn’t end his speech without giving a ‘shout-out’ to his mother, Abigail, who was in the audience, in a heartwarming moment.
‘It’s always been her greatest want for me to go to university, graduate, and then become someone, so this is a true full-circle moment,’ he added.
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After the pandemic halted graduation ceremonies for the past two years, graduates who completed their degrees in 2020 celebrated their accomplishments during Tuesday’s ceremony.
The rapper expressed his gratitude to his fellow graduates for having “the guts, the fortitude, and the determination” to get through university, saying he felt “very lucky and thrilled to be up here receiving this honorary degree.”
He recalled how he attempted to sit his A-levels multiple times but failed each time, commenting that it took ‘a heck of a lot’ for them to get this far.
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‘So, from the bottom of my heart, I say congratulations, well done; you should all be so proud of yourselves; what you have accomplished is wonderful; don’t let anyone diminish or undermine it,’ he said.
‘If you’re here in this room right now, you’re deserving and brilliant.’
He began granting scholarships for Black students at the University of Cambridge through the foundation in an effort to address the low percentage of Black students who attend Oxbridge universities.
Last year, HSBC UK and the #Merky Foundation formed a new charitable collaboration to sponsor a total of 30 ‘Stormzy Scholars’ for the next three years, covering tuition and living expenses.
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