Jennifer Hedderman and her daughters Leah Hedderman and Susan Gleeson were each conferred with a B.Ed. in Early Childhood Education and Practice at the University’s recent 2026 conferring ceremonies.
Three members of the one family were awarded the same degrees at recent conferring ceremonies at South East Technological University (SETU).
Jennifer Hedderman and her daughters Leah Hedderman and Susan Gleeson from Knocklyon in Dublin, were each conferred with a B.Ed. in Early Childhood Education and Practice.
The family saw milestone events in their lives while doing the course, including the birth of Susan’s baby.
Further studies
All three women work at Lily’s Childcare Limited in Dublin and were keen to further their studies in the sector. Encouraged by her daughters deciding to obtain a Level 7 degree at SETU, Jennifer followed suit and also enrolled on the programme.
She found the support of Leah and Susan, along with other class members and lecturers, invaluable:
“Having my girls doing the course alongside me was the motivator first and foremost. I also got huge support from the other students in our class – we were all in the same boat, which helped when trying to juggle coursework with everyday life. The tutors were so understanding of our time constraints and family obligations. We had a birth and two weddings in the two years of the course so it was a busy time,” Jennifer said.
My proudest moment was walking up to receive my parchment right behind my sister and Mum. Having the two of them with me on this journey was honestly the most special thing. Their support and the support of all the people I crossed paths with in SETU helped hugely in obtaining my degree and I will always be grateful for that.
Lifelong learning at SETU
Jennifer’s daughter Leah says SETU felt like the perfect fit for her because of the University’s commitment to lifelong learning:
“Having worked at Lily’s Childcare Limited since leaving school, my job has become a very important part of my life, and I was delighted to be given the opportunity to further my education and pursue a degree in Early Childhood Education and Practice. I think what helped me most during my undergraduate studies was the support and understanding I received from my lecturers and the flexibility offered by SETU’s Lifelong Learning Department.
“Being able to study while continuing to work full-time meant so much to me. It gave me the opportunity to invest in myself, build on the experience I had already gained, and take the next step towards becoming the best early years educator I can be,” Leah said.
Leah, who hopes to start her own afterschool service in the future, said it was fantastic moment to graduate at SETU alongside family members:
“My proudest moment was walking up to receive my parchment right behind my sister and Mum. Having the two of them with me on this journey was honestly the most special thing. Their support and the support of all the people I crossed paths with in SETU helped hugely in obtaining my degree and I will always be grateful for that,” Leah added.
Returning to education as a Mum
In 2020 Jennifer’s daughter Susan Gleeson pivoted from a career as a beauty therapist and retrained in childcare. Similar to her mother and sister, Susan wanted to further her qualification to obtain a Level 7 degree, and so enrolled on the Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Care and Practice at SETU on a parttime basis, while continuing to work in childcare.
Susan, a mother of three who had her first child shortly after doing her Leaving Cert in 2012, and her third baby while completing her degree at SETU, said she felt incredibly proud to graduate:
“Completing the course with my mom and sister was an amazing and unique experience. The biggest highlight for me was the seeing the baby I was pregnant with when graduating from secondary school now a teenager and watching me collect my degree from university,” she said.
Susan, who hopes to continue her qualifications to Level 8, also found the support of other classmates and her workplace invaluable:
“I really benefitted from the group chat with my classmates. We built our own supportive community. My job supported me in terms of study time, and I found resources sent in by some tutors great also. The Tusla and Regulation module on the course was really brilliant in terms of its application to real-word employment,” Susan added.
Reflecting on the overall experience of graduating with her daughters, Jennifer said:
“My highlight is watching my girls thrive and become graduates alongside them. It is a privilege I will keep forever in my heart.”
