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Graduates secure the Coast's future
18 April 2009
The highlight of the week and of the year has been the huge Graduation Ceremony, attended by 2,500 people.
The ceremony, steeped in centuries of university traditions, and reflecting their origins and links with the church, is the occasion to recognise the achievements, both of our students and community exemplars.
Organisationally, over 100 staff volunteer to help, 1200 students graduate, two senior fellows are recognised for their community achievements, many academic staff process, the function is attended by many Coast leaders, and graduates are addressed by Sir Llew Edwards, who himself has been such a major contributor to the development of this State.
But first and foremost, it is an evening with the focus on students, whose achievements we acknowledge with great pride, as so many of them will personally be leaders in the development of this Region into the future.
Some of our graduates are already achieving at world-class level, here and overseas, and it is hard not to reflect on a number of changes on the evening.
To reflect on how the Graduation Ceremony itself has changed from being conducted in a big tent to now at a major stadium; the ever elevating standards reached by graduates; the way the graduands conduct themselves with great maturity, and the list goes on.
We frequently talk about the way the Coast has changed and continues to change, and a great deal of that change is reflected in the Ceremony. The Region has so much brighter a future because of the contributions graduates are undoubtedly going to make.
This is a long way away from the early 90’s when only a handful of people from the Coast attended university and where so much talent went to waste.
The success of these graduates are ensuring the long-term success of this university, and its continuing contribution to the advancement of this Region.
Professor Paul Thomas AM is Vice-Chancellor and President at the University of the Sunshine Coast.