More than 350 students from The University of Queensland’s Faculties of Arts and Social and Behavioural Sciences will graduate at a ceremony in the UQ Centre, St Lucia on Monday, July 21, from 3pm.
Guest speaker for the ceremony will be respected advisor on children’s television, Dina Browne AO. Ms Browne said her speech to graduates would focus on whether entrenched inequality, greed, racism were too big to tackle because they were the products of “human nature”.
“The huge changes in society mean new goals, different rules and extended boundaries for young people - the major challenge is to balance the practical with the ideal and that takes special courage,” she said.
Ms Browne is also a part-time Criminal Justice Commission (CJC) commissioner and her many appointments have included Chair of Film Queensland’s Assessment and Advisory Panel; Trustee, Queensland Museum; Member of the National Advisory Committee, Australian Key Centre for Cultural and Media Policy; and Member, National Advisory Panel, International Research Forum Sydney 2000.
Student valedictorian for the ceremony will be Bachelor of Education graduate Ellena Papas.
Other graduates of interest attending the ceremony include:
• UQ Union President for 2000 Sarah McBratney, who will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Political Science and German Language. As President, she oversaw a $3 million budget and a staff of more than 200. Ms McBratney said she would continue studying towards her law degree while working two days a week as communications officer for the National Tertiary Education Union. “I’m hoping to do my final semester of law in Germany so I can really perfect my language skills, because I`d like to be able to work over there. I spent January and February there on a scholarship from the German Government, which was fantastic. The scholarship was from the Deutsche Akademische Austausch Dienst (DAAD) (German Academic Exchange Service) for a course in German language, literature and politics at the University of Essen.,” she said. “I`m a bit unsure about ultimate career plans but hope to work in international law.”
• Sharyn Johnson has come a long way to graduate at the ceremony. She left school in Year 10 in 1978 with no ambition to pursue further study. Five years ago, she decided the time had come to take steps to further her education and enrolled at the Bremer TAFE to gain entry qualification to university. After that, she was among the first enrolments at UQ Ipswich in the Bachelor of Behavioural Studies. Her outstanding Grade Point Average (GPA) has seen her gain membership into the internationally recognised Golden Key National Honour Society. Dedicated to excellence and service, membership is by invitation only and is extended to students in the top 15 percent of their field of study. The mother of three boys currently works as a full-time counsellor at a correctional centre and hopes to continue her studies with an honours year in 2004.
For more information, contact Jan King (telephone 07 3365 1120, email j.king@uq.edu.au).
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