Abertay student’s family accept posthumous degree
A posthumous degree has been awarded to the family of an Abertay student who died just weeks before his graduation.
Steve Rennie was just 38 when he sadly lost his battle with a rare cancer.
He was just two months away from graduating with an Honours Degree in Accounting with Finance when he was diagnosed with chromophobe renal carcinoma.
On Friday, Steve’s wife Sarah and his children Liam, 19, Siobhan, 12, and Stephen, 11, visited Abertay to receive the degree on Steve’s behalf from Principal Nigel Seaton.
They then spent time chatting with Nigel, Gavin Reid, DBS Head of School, Helen Smith, Senior Lecturer, and James Nicholson, Director of Student Services, about Steve’s time at the University.
Abertay Principal, Nigel Seaton, said, ‘It is incredibly sad that Steve is no longer with us. He was a dedicated student with a bright future. A private ceremony at Abertay was held to celebrate Steve’s educational achievement and award his degree posthumously to his wife, Sarah, and his family.’
Sarah said the poignant ceremony was ‘a very proud moment for the family’.
She said, ‘I cannot tell you how much this means to me – and to the whole family.
‘Steve loved his time at Abertay. This truly would’ve meant a lot to him.’
As well as his studies, Steve was very involved in other aspects of the University. He was the Dundee Business School Student Ambassador in 2014/15, received the Sweet & Maxwell Prize for Law, which was awarded to the student gaining the highest mark in Company Law, as well as the Warwick Dobson Prize for the student who gained the highest mark in Management Accountancy in 3rd Year of the BA (Hons) Accounting with Finance.
Steve was also the recipient of The Principal's Award, which recognises the employability skills that students have developed through work, study, volunteering and extracurricular activities, and he also took part in the European Business Masters.
A hard-working student and a great ambassador for Abertay, Steve will be sorely missed.
