When she gains a bachelor of applied management degree, she will be one of about 240 polytechnic graduands in many disciplines who will receive certificates, degrees and other qualifications from the polytechnic in a 3pm ceremony at the Dunedin Town Hall.
"I'm sad to be losing my job here and I'm really sad for all the people who are being made redundant," she said yesterday.
She has been working in human resources at Fisher and Paykel for the past six years, currently as a learning and development adviser.
As part of her recent "bittersweet" experiences, she was "ecstatic" to learn this week that she had gained a new job as a business development adviser at the Dunedin City Council's Economic Development Unit, starting next month.
While working in various capacities and also helping to raise a family, she has been studying part-time for much of the past 11 years, first at the polytechnic and then through the Massey University distance teaching programme.
Then in April last year came the announcement that changed everything-that the Mosgiel factory would close this year, although Fisher and Paykel design work will continue in Dunedin.
Mrs Sutton ran many seminars to help people find other work, and when the polytechnic's Centre for Assessment of Prior Learning made presentations in Mosgiel last year, she took particular note.
Assessment for Prior Learning (APL) takes account of both earlier study and the "understandings" that people have also gained through their work experience.
After deciding to go through the rigorous but "brilliant" APL assessment process, she had to prepare a series of management case studies.
In January, she completed a "nerve-racking" three-hour presentation and discussion about the studies before a three-strong assessment panel, qualifying for her degree.
