GRADUATE Angela Hilton wasn't interested in school work. She left Leigh St Mary's RC High School, Astley, after a poor GCSE performance, gaining just two subjects, and went straight into an administration job.

Now the 28-year-old Leigh mum has won her cap and gown at Wigan and Leigh College.

Angela, of The Avenue, Leigh, is one of almost 100 business school students who have recently graduated, and was delighted to have partner, Derrick Hodges, one-year-old baby Ella, and mum, Valerie, at the ceremony.

She said: "I have proved to myself that despite my poor performance at school, mainly because I had no idea what I wanted to do, that I can achieve academic success. This has given me more confidence in my abilities."

Angela, a part-time administrator at Manchester Business School, who decided to study for her HNC in business part-time to fit around her busy schedule, said: "After leaving school with two passes I went straight into a job and got my NVQ level 2 in administration.

"As a mature student I was accepted onto the Wigan and Leigh College course without the usual formal qualifications. It has been great for me. I hope eventually to specialise in human resources."

"It took me two years and in my second year I became unexpectedly pregnant. I took a couple of months off but was able to catch up, thanks to good support from Derrick and my family. I'm glad I did it."

OTHER graduates who received their diplomas from governor Frank Costello include:

HNC in business: Wigan Campus, part-time day: Henrieta Csutkayova, Julie E Darbyshire, Sharon Dearden, Sarah J Fearnley, Alison E Gillett, David C Gilman, Joanne Harrison, Mark Hutchinson, Deborah S Leadbetter.

Michelle Lowe, Sandra M Marsh, Ian Melling, Alison Morrissey, Catherine J Mullin, Kay Myers, Colette J Naylor, Elaine Robinson, Julia Saunders.

Patricia L Simcock, David Sizer, Vicky L Stringman, Heather J Thornton, Suzanne M Trippier, Veena C Ugargol, Samantha J Whitter, Gillian T Whyte, Janet A Wilson, Susan Woodhouse.

Leigh Campus evening: Claire L Appleton, Barry Blundell, Lindsay A Burgess, Kevin Chapman, Angela M Hilton, Nicola D Leatherbarrow, Stephen T Lyon, Stephen J Southern

Wigan Campus evening: Diane Ashcroft, Nina M Collier, Alison M Culshaw, Bernadette Doyle, Deborah Heaton, Louise M Hughes, Alan K Johnson, Tracey A Laithwaite, Patricia A Prescott, Nicola Quayle, Christine Sharpe, Daren P Sharrock.

HND in business Wigan fulltime: Kathryn McDonald, Paul S Weaver, Michael E Wood.

HND in business and personnel Wigan campus, full time: Andrew Anderson, Martin P Bannister, Ishtiaq Beg, Erika L Fielding, Andrea K Hart, Tracy Isherwood, Graham W Johnson, Amy L Neil.

HND in business and marketing, full time, Wigan campus: Elizabeth Evans, Elizabeth M Hajnrych, Christopher J Hammond, Gareth E Keane, Neil A Melling, Adam C Stones, Martin Ward.

HND business and finance, Wigan campus, full-time: Khalil Al-Zadjali, Joanne Darbyshire, Martin J Foggan, Jill Green, Anthony P Rothwell, Nosheen Tariq, Christopher E Williams.

HND in business, Leigh campus, full time: Joanne M Cunliffe, Lisa Daly, Claire Gray, Anne L Hilton, Suzanne Laycock, Suhail Mahmood.

BA (hons) International Business Administration (in partnership with the University of Lincolnshire and Humberside): Andrew Addison, Karen Bradshaw, Darren Burns, Simon Cook, Steven Haggerty, Michelle Hillyer, Grahame Mackay, Aaron Malik.

Daniel North, John Pickup, Ian Roby, Claire Roscoe, Gary Smith, Fiona Turner, Ellen Walker, Helen Weedon.