Honorary graduates 2022
Plymouth Marjon University was founded 1840. During the years that have followed this small university has made a big impact, through changing lives, enabling students to gain qualifications and giving them skills and experiences which have a positive impact upon the wider community.
The University confers honorary degrees on nominated persons who are deemed to have made outstanding contributions to education, culture, society, business or public life. These awards celebrate those who are making a positive difference in the lives of others, both publicly and privately.
Honorary Graduate - Ceremony 1
Victoria Pomery OBE is Chief Executive Officer of The Box, Plymouth's award-winning museum, gallery and archive.
Since joining The Box in 2021, Victoria has led the organisation through a period of national recognition, culminating in its receipt of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2026, the UK's most prestigious museum award.
One of the UK's most respected cultural leaders, Victoria's career has spanned organisations including the Mead Gallery, Angel Row Gallery and Tate Liverpool. In 2002, she became the founding Director of Turner Contemporary in Margate, where she oversaw the development of a landmark cultural institution widely credited with contributing to the town's regeneration.
Awarded an OBE for services to the arts in 2012, Victoria has been recognised throughout her career for her vision, leadership and commitment to widening access to culture and creativity.
Honorary Graduate - Ceremony 2
Dr Sai Achuthan is a Consultant Psychiatrist in General Adult Psychiatry and a leading specialist in addiction medicine, neurodevelopmental psychiatry and medical leadership.
Having qualified in medicine in Malaysia before completing consultant training in the United Kingdom, he has built an internationally respected career spanning clinical practice, leadership, education and research.
His expertise in autism and ADHD assessment and treatment has helped thousands of individuals and families, while his leadership roles have supported improvements in professional training and healthcare services across the country. He currently serves as Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists South West Division and has played a key role in national medical education initiatives.
A published author and frequent speaker, Dr Achuthan has received numerous national honours, including Consultant of the Year, Medical Leader of the Year and recognition among the UK's most influential people.
Honorary Graduate - Ceremony 3
Born in the east end of Glasgow, Fiona Spicer is a therapist, community worker and passionate advocate for people who have experienced trauma, addiction, vulnerability and spiritual abuse.
For more than 18 years, Fiona has worked as a community pastor, supporting people through some of the most challenging periods of their lives and helping them discover hope, healing and renewed self-worth. She specialises in supporting those affected by trauma and has a particular passion for working alongside members of the LGBTQ+ community and people who have experienced spiritual abuse.
In 2016, she founded the Greenhouse Community Project, creating a welcoming and inclusive space where people could find support, build relationships and make positive changes in their lives. She later established GreenSpace Hub and Shop, further developing opportunities for connection, growth and belonging.
Community is at the heart of Fiona's work. Guided by the belief that everyone deserves a second chance, she has dedicated her career to helping people rediscover their value and potential.
Honorary Graduate: Ceremony 4
Jackie McCartney has spent more than 25 years working as an Ofsted-registered childminder, supporting children and families, including providing emergency placements for looked-after children and assisting families requiring additional care and support.
Drawing on her own experiences of growing up in institutional care, Jackie has become a powerful advocate for care-experienced people, speaking at universities, conferences and national forums about identity, records access and the long-term impact of care.
Her work has included contributions to initiatives with the Information Commissioner's Office, Action for Children and the University College London MIRRA project. She is also one of the original organisers of the Birmingham Christmas Dinner, which supports care-experienced young people who would otherwise spend Christmas alone.
A published poet, Director of Your Life Your Story and Ambassador for the Rees Foundation, Jackie has dedicated her life to ensuring care-experienced voices are heard and valued.
Honorary Graduate - Ceremony 5
Jennie Walker has devoted her professional life to education and educational leadership, beginning her teaching career in 1984 before becoming a primary headteacher and later leading some of the country's earliest academy partnerships and trusts. Jennie served on Marjon's Board of Directors from 2023-2025.
By 2019, Jennie was Chief Executive Officer of a multi-academy trust comprising 21 primary schools. Alongside this, she served as an Ofsted Inspector, Local Leader of Education and School Improvement Lead, helping raise standards and opportunities for young people.
Following her retirement from full-time school leadership, Jennie has continued to champion education and equality through Soroptimist International, a global organisation advocating for women and girls. In 2024 she founded Kernow Soroptimists, the first UK Soroptimist club established as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.
Jennie also represented her organisation at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and serves as Chair of the Diamond Education Grant, supporting women to access educational opportunities.