Geraldton Universities Centre’s Class of 2024 includes almost 50 students and graduates

Geraldton Universities Centre’s Class of 2024 celebrated the culmination of years of hard work last week when they took centre stage at their graduation ceremony.

In total, 49 students graduated from courses supported by GUC from its university partners, CQUniversity and the University of Southern Queensland.

At Queens Park Theatre on Thursday last week, students achieved undergraduate degrees in nursing, education, engineering, accounting, human services, psychological science, social work and behavioural science, as well as a graduate certificate in tertiary and adult education and a Master of Teaching and Master of Education.

Family, friends and the wider GUC community were on hand to cheer on the graduates, who now join an alumni of 564 students who have graduated through GUC since it started in 2001.

GUC chair Jody Beven praised the university’s tremendous value in the community and its innovative model, which was the catalyst for the Commonwealth Government’s Regional Study Hub Program..

“Since 2018 there has been a Commonwealth funded program to establish university centres — from smaller study hubs to larger more campus style centres like our own — right across Australia,” Mr Beven said.

“There’s 34 now providing support to more than 3000 regional, rural and remote students — five of those are in WA creating a network from Albany in the south to Broome in the north. Another 10 hubs received funding to set up just last month.

“GUC is surely always leading the way in this space.”

Some graduates spoke at the ceremony on behalf of their peers, including Bachelor of Primary Education graduate Jessica Knight and Bachelor of Nursing graduate Kylie Mutter.

“In total, we have devoted 4608 hours to our studies, and we have spent 85 days engaged in professional practice, preparing our skills in classroom settings under the guidance of experienced mentors. These experiences have been invaluable, providing us with the hands-on experience and practical insights necessary to excel in our future careers,” Ms Knight said.

Ms Mutter was grateful for the support provided to her to allow her to complete her nursing degree despite living 160km from Geraldton.

“I did not think I would be able to achieve my goal of becoming a nurse, living rurally whilst still being able to spend quality time with my family,” she said. “The GUC welcomed me, as a mature-aged student with open arms, offering alternative options such as Zoom classes for tutorials allowing me to connect from home.

“Studying with the GUC has enabled us to continue to live in the Mid West and receive the best clinical experience in our region to develop our skills as newly qualified nurses.”