UQ Ipswich Campus will hold two mid-year graduation ceremonies today (Monday, July 16) as part of UQ's mid-year graduation week.
Students across all three campuses will graduate today, Wednesday and Friday at eight graduation ceremonies.
At UQ Ipswich, ceremonies will be held for 165 graduands spanning five faculties: Arts; Business, Economics and Law; Engineering, Physical Sciences and Architecture; Health Sciences; and Social and Behavioural Sciences.
These will take place at 5pm and 7pm at the Ipswich Civic Hall, cnr Limestone and Nicholas streets, Ipswich.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Rix said that he was impressed by the graduands’ success and stories of perseverance.
“Often the students who graduate mid-year are those who have studied part-time or deferred a portion of their study at some point,” Professor Rix said.
“They are the students who have had to overcome particular challenges to balance their studies with other demands.”
Graduating Bachelor of Nursing student Faroukh Kamali moved to Australian from Iran. For the past two and a half years, Faroukh has balanced his studies with work and in July 2005, in Brisbane, met a childhood friend from Iran whom he married the same year.
Mr Kamali attributes his success to the support of his wife and to the community of nursing students and staff at UQ Ipswich.
“Looking back, the one thing that stands out to me is the bond that I built with the people I was studying with, and teachers at UQ Ipswich,” he said.
“For the first two years of study, we were in the same lectures together, we grew together and supported each other. I’ve made friends that I know I will keep for life.”
Also looking forward to the graduation ceremonies are 2007 Mid-Year Ipswich valedictorians Toni Risson and Kristy Nash.
Bachelor of Contemporary Studies (Hons) graduand Toni Risson has published three books since commencing her studies part-time in 2001, most recently self-publishing Aphrodite and The Mixed Grill, a chronicle of Greek cafes in Australia and, most notably, Ipswich.
Ms Risson believes that the knowledge acquired through studying at UQ has given her new choices.
“Knowledge allows me to choose the level at which I want to interact with technology and it enables me to direct a fascination with the past towards listening to older people’s stories and understanding the shifts in our culture,” she said.
“If I could choose a phrase to adorn an entrance at the Ipswich campus, it would be ‘Knowledge bestows the gift of choice’.”
Fellow valedictorian Kristy Nash graduates from a Bachelor of Nursing with a Grade Point Average of 6.1. Ms Nash commences work this month at the Intensive Care Unit at Princess Alexandra Hospital.
A high-profile member of the Ipswich community will attend each ceremony as guest speaker.
Member for Ipswich Rachel Nolan, MP, will be guest speaker for the 5pm ceremony for students graduating from the faculties of Business, Economics and Law, and Arts.
Ipswich City Council Mayor Councillor Paul Pisasale will be guest speaker at the 7pm ceremony for the faculties of Engineering, Physical Sciences and Architecture; Health Sciences; and Social and Behavioural Sciences.
Media: Ipswich Marketing & Development Manager Sarah Schindeler on 07 3381 1068 or 0421 587 278.
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