Toni Griffiths

When Toni Griffiths crosses the stage at the Dome to collect her degree in anthropology, two very important fellow graduates will be looking on with pride - her mother and her grandmother.

Toni is the third generation of her family to graduate from Sussex, making this afternoon's ceremony (Friday 22 July) a truly family affair.

Toni's grandmother Rita Bennett took a degree course in French and Italian as a mature student, graduating in 1994. She now lives in Italy and is embarking on a doctorate there at the University of Salento in Puglia.

Toni's mother Liesel Wilkes decided to follow Rita into higher education, and on Rita's recommendation took a place at Sussex to study Social Policy, graduating in 2002. She now works as a Recovery Project Worker at the Eastbourne, Wealden and Lewes Adult Substance Misuse Service.

Now it's daughter Toni's turn to put on a gown and mortar board before she embarks on a career in teaching English in Spain, inspired by a year she spent abroad on the EU's ERASMUS student exchange programme.

But Toni's experience of Sussex began long before she became a student. Toni says: "I chose Sussex because both my nan and my mum had gone there and said it was a great university, but I had got to know it when they were studying there. I remember being in the library with my mum when I was quite young."

And will Toni like to keep the family tradition going? She says: "I love the idea of a fourth generation at Sussex."

As Sussex prepares to celebrate its 50^th anniversary, there is growing evidence that the University's graduates like to keep their higher education in the family. No less than 27 former students will be attending this summer's five ceremonies as parents, grandparents, partners or children of graduating students.

You can watch the graduation ceremonies live on the Sussex website.