Student overcomes devastating loss to graduate from Heriot-Watt University

A Heriot-Watt University student graduates today (June 20) with a first class Master’s degree in Civil Engineering after enduring an extraordinary journey marked by personal loss and perseverance.

Caitlin Cummings, 23, from Greenock, dealt with the deaths of both her father and older brother during her studies, alongside the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A former pupil of Inverclyde Academy, Caitlin began her university journey in 2019, leaving the family home on Scotland’s west coast to study at Heriot-Watt’s Edinburgh campus. But just eight months later, the pandemic struck, forcing thousands of students, including Caitlin, to transition abruptly to remote learning.

“I was shocked at first,” Caitlin said. “But I managed to adapt. It was tough but I got through it.”

However, greater challenges lay ahead.

During the summer break following her second year, Caitlin received devastating news while on holiday in Dumfries.

“I got a phone call saying my dad had suffered a heart attack and died,” she said. “It was devastating. I had to rush home. It was during Covid, so planning the funeral and dealing with everything else was even harder.”

Despite the grief, Caitlin returned to university that September. But the emotional toll proved too much.

“I tried to keep up, but nothing was going in. My head was mush,” she said. “I ended up taking a Temporary Suspension of Studies (TSS), which was the best decision I could have made. It gave me the space I needed to cope.”

Determined to continue, Caitlin resumed her studies the following year and applied for Heriot-Watt’s Go Global programme, which allows students to study at the university’s international campuses. She was accepted and spent the second academic semester at the Malaysia campus.

“Going to Malaysia was the best decision I ever made,” Caitlin recalled. “It gave me the space I needed to heal. It was my best year at university. I felt confident again.”

Her father, John, who passed away aged 62, never had the opportunity to attend university himself.

“University was something my dad was really proud of. Knowing that helped motivate me to keep going,” she said.

But shortly after returning from Malaysia, tragedy struck again. While backpacking across Europe after finishing her coursework from her 4th year at university in the summer of 2024, Caitlin received another heartbreaking phone call. Her older brother, Scott, had died unexpectedly at just 24 years old.

“When I took the call, I was stuck on a boat and couldn’t get off,” she said. “That moment will stay with me forever.”

The loss of her brother, with whom she had shared the grief of their father’s death, was crushing.

“My brother and I were very close and we leaned on each other after dad passed. Suddenly, it was just me and mum,” Caitlin said.

“She had just lost her son, and I wanted to support her. We had to deal with so much. It was a lot, and all while I was trying to finish my degree.”

Despite the emotional weight, Caitlin pressed on. Today, she graduates as part of Heriot-Watt’s summer graduation ceremonies held at the Edinburgh campus, joined in celebration by her extremely proud mother, nana, and boyfriend.

She is sharing her story with others in hope of helping someone else who might be in a similar situation. To allow them to feel a sense of hope and belief that they can get through it, and that they’re not alone.

Reflecting on her achievement, Caitlin said: “I’m trying not to think about it too much or I’ll get emotional. Once I’m holding that degree, it might hit me.

“University was always my choice. But having the support of my family and the university helped give me the drive to keep going. People are stronger than they think.

“Grief is not something that we ever get over, and unfortunately every day is different. There’s not a timeline and there’s definitely not an answer or how to, but if you’re lucky, with the support of your family or friends you can get through it. I thought so many times about giving up, because it’s difficult to keep going, but I was supported at every turn and encouraged to press on.”

After graduating, Caitlin is looking forward to spending the summer in Australia before returning to Glasgow to start her new career with the engineering consultancy firm, Jacobs, as a graduate Civil Engineer in Transportation.