“I stand humbled to become one of your newest alumni of one of the most prestigious universities in the globe,” said Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, who received an honorary doctorate at Brigham Young University Thursday, April 27, 2017. Speaking on the Provo, Utah, campus, the member of the United Kingdom House of Lords and founder of the AMAR Foundation said BYU is “globally respected” because it produces graduates who are “tolerant yet critical in thinking.”
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
“Baroness Emma Nicholson is an absolutely fearless advocate for people who have no one else to speak for them,” said Sister Sharon Eubank, first counselor in the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and director of LDS Charities, who was on the Provo, Utah, campus for the commencement ceremonies.
Sister Eubank continued, “She has used her position and platform to shut down human trafficking, increase protections of religious rights and to open doors for families caught in conflict. Her work in the marshlands of Iraq attracted the attention of the Church's humanitarian organization, LDS Charities.”
For the past eight years, LDS Charities and AMAR have partnered to build health clinics and schools and to help victims of sexual violence in the Middle East and elsewhere.
“Baroness Emma Nicholson is deserving in every way not only of the honorary doctorate but of being a real role model for any people concerned with the ‘outsiders’ in the world,” added Sister Eubank.
Baroness Nicholson, one of Britain's best-known politicians, received a Doctor of International Leadership and Humanitarian Service degree during the commencement exercises in the Marriott Center. Nearly 6,000 students received degrees at the ceremonies, including more than 700 students receiving master's degrees and more than 170 receiving doctoral degrees.
“I am so proud to be in your ranks. Count me in as one of you. Ready with all of the knowledge and experience that life has given me, I will be using it if you will allow me to help you succeed. Call on me at any time,” concluded Baroness Nicholson.
Watch BYU’s April commencement on byutv.org.
Wonderful to meet Sister Jean Bingham, the President of @LDSChurch #reliefsociety, a great supporter of @AMARLondon pic.twitter.com/bRsFskAD5D
— Baroness Nicholson (@Baroness_Nichol) April 26, 2017
Baroness Nicholson has a long-standing relationship with many Church leaders, who hosted a luncheon for her on Temple Square in Salt Lake City on Wednesday.
Last year, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was invited to speak at Windsor Castle. In 2015, he addressed a group at the UK Parliament on humanitarian efforts. That same year, Baroness Nicholson spoke at BYU.