Jennifer Bratton and Nick Targontsidis

Jennifer Bratton from Aberdeen became the latest generation in her family to be awarded a degree from The Open University (OU) when she graduated in 2022, thirty years after her father's first OU graduation. 

When Jennifer, now aged 31 and living near Aberdeen, chose to study for a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Business Studies degree with the OU in Scotland, she already knew first-hand she would be supported during her studies.

She explains: “The OU was flexible and understood the pressures full-time working and family life had on a student. My dad also studied with the OU when he was younger and had a positive experience working full-time and studying, so I knew that the OU would be a great fit for me and my needs.”

Jennifer began working in the oil and gas industry when she was aged 20, starting as a summer student, while her dad worked as a marine engineer when he first studied. 

‘OU do it best’

Sharing her dad’s experience of studying with the OU for a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree and later a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in the 1980s and 1990s, Jennifer says: “My dad felt that he had a positive experience. It was a way of doing this type of learning while working away at sea, so most of his study was completed away on ships.”

Jennifer’s dad, Nick Targontsidis, now aged 63 and based in Laurencekirk, remarks: “It’s great that the OU has electronic forms now. That would have helped a great deal when I was away on the ships in the ‘80s and ‘90s, relying on the postal system.” 

Often with education you have to put your life on hold and focus fully on obtaining certifications, but the OU was built to allow you to study without the sacrifice and I am so grateful for that.”
Jennifer Bratton

Jennifer suggests that her dad’s ability to study offshore “highlights how accessible it is to individuals”. She explains: “That format has remained consistent over the years, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. The OU was already set up for remote learning, so our studies didn’t feel impacted like other students studying elsewhere.”

However, despite all of the technological changes that have taken place over the years, both father and daughter agree that fundamentally the OU has remained the same.

Nick suggests: “⁠I think the studying process remains broadly the same – being able to fit in study around work, home life, holidays and so on.”

“The OU still provides the flexibility to work and learn at the same time,” Jennifer adds. “For both my dad and I, we had families whilst studying and it was because of the OU that we were able to do this. Whilst I see other universities offering similar distance learning opportunities, I still think the OU do it best.”

‘Proud moment’

Moving house multiple times, getting married and having two children during her studies, Jennifer welcomes that there was the option to pause between modules. 

She comments: “I feel this is unique to the OU. Often with education you have to put your life on hold and focus fully on obtaining certifications, but the OU was built to allow you to study without the sacrifice and I am so grateful for that.”

Towards the end of her degree, she was pregnant and suffering with anaemia and hyperemesis, while working from home and looking after her four-year-old son during lockdown. 

“The OU was a fantastic support over this time, allowing for extensions when I needed them, or taking extra time to go through course content where I had to submit work ahead of submission date to avoid any conflicts with my pregnancy and hospital visits,” she says. 

Looking back to his graduation ceremonies with the OU in 1992 and 2000, Nick describes it as “a proud moment each time – a reward for all of the time, effort and sacrifice to get there”, whilst seeing his own daughter graduate from the OU made him “immensely proud.”

Describing her graduation day in 2022, Jennifer concludes: “I found it quite overwhelming, especially to realise, ‘Wow, I actually did it’. It was really special moment where you could see the pride from my parents knowing how much work it took to get to this point. 

“It was especially nice to have my dad there and celebrate this moment, knowing we both came through this pathway.”