The University of Canberra hosted its mid-year graduation ceremonies in the Great Hall at Parliament House last week (October 8 and 9).
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Bethany Bird
It was hard to bat away the tears as Yass mother of three, Bethany Bird walked up to receive her University of Canberra Bachelor of Education degree at Parliament House last week.
The 31-year-old childcare worker said she had “butterflies in her stomach” when she was handed her degree.
“I saw my kids jump when I walked down. I couldn’t help myself, I just started to cry, I just love kids so much,” she said.
Ms Bird commuted from Yass everyday and had classes while also working causally at childcare centres in Yass, Young and Berinba.
“Working with kids was the best part of my degree. The practical lessons were the highlights,” she said.
Ms Bird said she now plans to continue working causally until the end of the year and spend more time with her three children, Malakai (8), Janika (6) and Xander (4).
Matthew Parker
Yass resident Matthew Parker felt “pretty good” when graduating with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Canberra on October 9.
The 22-year-old said his favourite part of the degree was the field trips he took with his classmates.
“We went on several field trips, including a week-long trip to Willandra National Park, where we learned a lot about rocks and animals,” Mr Parker said.
“Now, I miss not having assignments,” he continued.
The former Yass High School student is the eldest in his family and the first to graduate from university.
Mr Parker is currently looking for jobs in his field and hasn’t discounted going back to study in the future.
His family travelled from Yass to attend his graduation ceremony at Parliament House’s Great Hall.
Rebecca Jane Stevens
Rebecca Jane Stevens, from Yass, was “very excited” after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Canberra last week.
“I didn´t know I was going to enjoy it as much, but it was a great experience and I’m glad I did it,” the 22-year-old said.
Ms Stevens said that the best part of her studies was “getting to explore my passions”.
“I went to study abroad in Grenada, Spain. That was the best experience,” she said.
“It was only for the winter term but it was absolutely worth it!”
She is now looking into studying a Masters in education.
“I would like to become a primary school teacher,” she said.
Her parents attended the ceremony at Parliament House and then went out to dinner to celebrate.
Joshua O'Brien
Joshua O'Brien graduated with a double degree in sport coaching and exercise science and sports management from the University of Canberra last week. The 23-year-old, who attended Yass High School, said he "felt lucky" to already be working in the industry.
Mr O'Brien moved to the ACT in November last year after securing a full-time position with Boxing Australia where he does administration work for high performance teams.
He said the highlight of his degree was embarking on a four-week study tour visiting universities in Canada and the United States.
Mr O'Brien's mother, father and brother still live in Yass with his parents travelling to Canberra to see him graduate at Parliament House. Mr O'Brien's girlfriend Rebeccah Shumway also attended his graduation.
Sandra Finlayson
Juggling a daily commute, two daughters and their after-school commitments, as well as a full-time job it didn’t stop Yass resident Sandra Finlayson from completing her degree at the University of Canberra.
The 49-year-old graduated with a Bachelor of Science at a ceremony held at Parliament House on October 9.
“Anything is achievable,” Ms Finlayson said. “I’m very proud!”
She also revealed that the journey hasn’t always been smooth. Originally from Zimbabwe, Ms Finlayson moved to Australia in 1989 without finishing high school, but she said it felt “awesome” to now have her University of Canberra degree in her hand.
Her partner, her aunt and her daughters were present at the ceremony and helped her celebrate her achievement by going out to lunch.
Contributed.