University of Southern Queensland UniSQ graduations in Toowoomba at the Empire Theatre | photos
Hard work and dedication pays off for UniSQ students as they attend spring graduations in Toowoomba. See the photos here.
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Years of hard work and dedication to their studies have paid off for hundreds of students from the University of Southern Queensland, as they celebrate their graduation.
The university held three spring graduation ceremonies over the course of October 31 and November 1, to celebrate the unforgettable milestone and achievements of Toowoomba graduates.
For as long as she can remember Kassidy Bauer spent her evenings watching real-life medical dramas with her nanna and the pair fell in love with the profession of nursing.
The former New Zealand resident relocated to Toowoomba in 2017 to complete high school, before enrolling in a Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Southern Queensland in 2020.
Despite living away from her support network and commencing her tertiary education during the height of Covid-19, the 22-year-old graduated at the Empire Theatre this week.
Standing beside her close friend Sienna Deegan, who Ms Bauer met at a university placement, the pair said celebrating their graduation together made the moment all the sweeter.
“Nursing is quite a hands-on career, so studying online during Covid made it quite challenging,” Ms Bauer said.
“Not seeing other students until placements was hard too but (Sienna and I) clicked straight away, helped each other get through assessments and placements and are still supporting each other through our careers now, which has been really wonderful.”
Currently working with Toowoomba Hospital’s Heart Care Team, Ms Bauer is set to commence her graduate program with the hospital next year, which will involve working in the orthopaedic, rehabilitation and palliative care areas.
Keen to continue her studies in the nursing field, Ms Bauer hopes to one day specialise in pediatric and neonatal health.
Ms Bauer’s mum and nanna travelled from their home to New Zealand to help celebrate the graduate’s milestone and plan to spend the weekend together at the Sunshine Coast.
“I love making a difference in people’s lives and my dream is to work with kids,” she said.
“My nanna has always been my biggest inspiration and since we watched those shows together all those years ago, I always knew in my heart I would get into nursing.
“It was tricky being away from my mum and nanna, but I call them every day and they are super proud of me.”
Many students spend their years at university living on caffeine and two-minute noodles and burying their heads in textbooks into the early hours of the morning, but as graduate Louise McDonald has discovered, the reward at the end is well worth the sacrifices.
The Toowoomba graduate enrolled in a Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Southern Queensland in 2020 and quickly discovered the challenges of juggling parenthood, studies and a job.
“I’d been working in admin for 26 years and decided it was time for a change and I wanted to do it now before I got too much older,” she said.
“I failed my first assignment and got 39 out of 80, but I decided I wasn’t going to let that set me back, asked for help and made sure I knew what I was doing for my next assignment.”
While the setback would be enough for many people to give up completely, the mum of three persevered, quit her job to focus on her studies and graduated with a faculty medal and distinction on Tuesday.
Enrolling in 2020, Ms McDonald battled the uncertainty of studying during the height of the Covid pandemic and worse several different hats.
The 54-year-old graduated from nursing alongside her eldest daughter and son-in-law, and was also a mum to two teenage twins.
Ms McDonald said she was grateful for her family’s support.
“It’s pretty tough to keep everything up in the air all at once, but I somehow managed to do it because you don’t have a choice,” she said.
“I’m actually grateful I failed that very first assignment because it taught me to keep persevering, try new ways to overcome challenges and stay determined.
“(My favourite part about nursing) is the opportunity to have a positive impact on people’s lives – and sometimes just being kind is all you need to do to brighten someone’s day or make them feel better.”
Ms McDonald has been working at Toowoomba Hospital since March and hoped to gain a permanent role with Queensland Health once she completed her graduate program.
She celebrated the exciting milestone with her family at lunch after her graduation which was held at the Empire Theatre on Tuesday, October 31.
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Originally published as University of Southern Queensland UniSQ graduations in Toowoomba at the Empire Theatre | photos
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