Hats off to USQ graduates

18th May 2009

Karleila Thomsen

IT was party time at the Fraser Coast's university at the weekend.

One hundred and twenty five students graduated from the University of Southern Queensland Fraser Coast campus on Saturday.

It was the largest number of students ever to graduate from the 12-year-old campus.

Most were from the region but there was also one Vietnamese student and one from Singapore.

Abouta thousand people turned out to congratulate the students who, dressedin dark robes, walked from St Paul's Memorial Hall in Maryborough tothe Brolga Theatre led by the Fraser Coast Anglican College Band.

USQ Chancellor Bobbie Brazil handed out the degrees and diplomas during the ceremony while Andrew Chua was the guest speaker.

Threestudents received doctorates; former USQ senior education lecturer JohnMcMaster was given a standing ovation when he was given his doctoratein education.

Kim Teh and Aaron Tkaczynski both received doctorates in philosophy.

The two largest groups were from the education and science faculties; about 40 nurses and teachers in each.

Itwas also a day to celebrate the universities first ever class, of fivestudents, to pass their Master of Professional Studies.

Another first was a group of five students graduating with a Bachelor of Human Services (Counselling).

Both studies were developed on the Fraser Coast.