UniSQ graduations: University of Southern Queensland students celebrate end of their degrees
Graduating students from the University of Southern Queensland class of 2024 are celebrating the end of their time at uni, with their hard work and dedication paying off. See the photos here.
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The University of Southern Queensland’s graduating class of February 2024 celebrated the end of their tertiary education at a series of ceremonies at the Empire Theatre.
Here are some of the inspiring stories from our newest crop of graduates.
Wendy Mbano
University of Southern Queensland Bachelor of Human Services graduate Wendy Mbano is nothing short of an inspiration, truly proving no hurdle is too big.
Ms Mbano was three years into a bachelor degree in Accounting Science in South Africa after having worked as an accountant in Zimbabwe, when her family moved to Toowoomba in 2016.
Unable to pay for fees as an international student, the mum of four made the difficult decision to abandon her studies.
With a skilled worker visa she was also ineligible for the HECS HELP program in Australia. Instead she found employment in the disability support sector, which eventually pushed her to pursue her Bachelor of Human Services with UniSQ in 2019.
Ineligible for HECS, Ms Mbano studied two subjects per semester – all she could afford at the time. When she became an Australian citizen in 2021 and was finally eligible for the HECS program, she began studying full time, alongside working full time and supporting her children.
At her graduation ceremony on Monday at the Empire Theatre, Ms Mbano said she was “over the moon,” and had truly felt the love and support of her family.
“My family back home were watching on the link. The ceremony started at 1.30am and they woke up to watch it,” she said.
Ms Mbano said she was also proud to show her kids that “the sky is the limit for them”.
Brianna Wooller
Brianna Wooller was thrilled to have her grandparents travel more than 17,750km from their home in Portugal to join her on her big day.
Ms Wooller was the first of Dahlia and Frank Da Costa’s grandchildren to graduate university, with a Bachelor of Law from the University of Southern Queensland. They flew from Portugal to Toowoomba to show their support on Ms Wooller’s graduation day.
Currently undertaking her professional legal training from the Queensland College of Law, Ms Wooller hopes to be admitted as a solicitor in June.
Ms Wooller said she wants to be a family or abuse law solicitor.
“I’m just really interested in that area – in helping people,” Ms Wooller said.
Ms Wooller’s family from NSW also joined her in Toowoomba for her graduation celebrations.
Zachary Thorp
From a long line of educators, academics and learners, Zachary Thorp graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Southern Queensland on Tuesday afternoon.
Zachary majored in archaeology and anthropology with a minor in history, and is currently pursuing honours study.
Zachary’s father, Dr Stuart Thorp, a retired lecturer at the university, came out of retirement so he could join the academic procession at the ceremony.
Dr Thorp said he was incredibly proud of his son for pursuing a study he was so passionate about.
“(We’ve watched) him go through his studies and just grow and learn and see how much he loves to learn,” Dr Thorp said.
Zachary is not the first in his family with a love of learning.
Aside from his academic father, Zachary’s great grandfather was an archaeologist and his grandmother a schoolteacher with a penchant for history.
UniSQ February 2024 graduation photos
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