A POLITICIAN yesterday swapped her mayoral robes for a graduation gown as she received a degree from Ulster University.
Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Lindsay Millar juggled her duties as a councillor to achieve a Masters in Communication and PR.
Ms Millar studied politics at undergraduate level before going on to work for Ulster Unionist Party MEP Jim Nicholson.
She has been working in politics for seven years, taking the lead on events and campaigns for Mr Nicholson. She said the EU referendum changed everything, describing the outcome as her `P45' with her job ceasing to exist from March 2019.
"Coming back to Ulster University to study Communication and PR was an obvious choice for me. While working for Jim Nicholson MEP I have had the opportunity to gain experience in event management and work on campaigns and that is where I see my future," she said.
"It was daunting going back to university at the age of 27 but I would definitely recommend it. I was able to draw on my professional experience throughout the course to develop my skills and knowledge."
Ms Millar was elected as mayor in June and fulfilled her public duties while writing her dissertation.
"Over the past year I have spent most of my evenings and weekends working on my masters. After becoming mayor I didn't want to miss any engagements but I was also determined to finish my dissertation so I made sure I had my laptop and books with me everywhere I went," she said.
