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Top student creates next chapter in career
A Creative Writing student who gained a grade point average of 6.9 out of 7 while nurturing the cultural life and welfare of fellow students at the University of the Sunshine Coast will receive two of USC’s highest honours.
William Douglas, 49, of North Arm, will receive a University Medal for his academic excellence and a 2011 Chancellor’s Medal.
The Chancellor’s Medal is presented to a graduate for demonstrated high academic achievement and distinguished contribution to University life and/or the community.
Mr Douglas also will officially receive his Bachelor of Arts (Creative Writing) at the USC Graduation Ceremony from 11am on Wednesday 20 April.
He is now studying Honours while working in Student Services at USC.
“I believe in inclusiveness and celebrating difference, so this award is a wonderful acknowledgement of my approach to campus life,” he said.
Mr Douglas is a former performing artist who choreographed a mass dance routine on campus last year for what’s known as a “flash mob” for the internet.
The flash mob rehearsals brought together students and staff in a positive, fun environment.
Mr Douglas has made significant contributions to both the education and social integration of USC students, fulfilling roles as a student mentor, a peer adviser, a tutor for students with disabilities and a tutor for Indigenous students.
“I am one of many people who go beyond official roles to encourage and support students in everyday interactions at university,” he said.
He also represented the University at the 2008 Brisbane Writers Festival and the 2010 Reality Bites non-fiction literary festival at Cooroy.
“I trained in performing arts and have worked as a musician, theatre actor, dancer, show director, choreographer and event manager,” he said.
“Highlights ranged from Sydney’s Star City casino opening to the Dance Camp series at Sydney’s Belvoir Street Theatre in the 1990s.
“I’ve always felt I had a writer in me so, after moving to the Sunshine Coast, I enrolled at USC to lay the foundation for my next career direction.”
Mr Douglas, whose Honours research focuses on innovations in storytelling, said his next goal was to finish a novel.
“My writing has been described as a mix of comedy, satire, reflections and perspectives on society and culture,” he said.
“I’ve got lots of stories to tell so I’m experimenting with formats to find the most accessible way of delivering them.”
– Julie Gatehouse