YEARS of blood, sweat and tears have come to an end for 185 students who graduated from their courses at Charles Sturt University (CSU) Orange’s graduation ceremony on Tuesday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The graduates were part of a group 234 students eligible to graduate from 49 courses offered at the campus this year, including physiotherapy, dentistry and clinical sciences.
They received their certificates in front of 500 family members and friends at Kinross Wolaroi School’s Derek Pigot Auditorium.
Head of campus Heather Robinson said any graduation was an exciting experience for students and staff, and yesterday’s event was no different.
“This is what they’ve been working hard for, they’ve enjoyed the whole experience and now they’re looking to what’s next for them,” Dr Robinson said.
“For us staff, we are excited for them because CSU has really good employment statistics, so we’re very optimistic the students will all find jobs in the coming months.”
Dr Robinson said the university had flourished in 2015.
“For us at Orange, it’s really been a solid year,” she said. “For the core of our courses it’s really been a year of consolidation in teaching and academics. We’re proud of the courses and proud of the graduates.”
Bachelor of physiotherapy (honours) students Liam Abbey and Jack Archer will always carry with them fond memories of their years studying at CSU.
The students, from Parkes and Orange respectively, finished up a gruelling and stressful final year in which they investigated treatments for diabetic neuropathy, or nerve damage caused by diabetes.
Studying neuropathy has fuelled further study for Mr Archer, who will begin a bachelor of medicine at the University of Wollongong next year, while Mr Abbey will work as a physiotherapist at the Blue Mountains Hospital in Katoomba.
The students agreed their clinical placements at Royal Darwin Hospital had been a highlight of their study, and said they owed much of their academic success to the close-knit CSU community.
“The class sizes are small, the lecturers are so approachable if you had any questions, even the lecturers who weren’t looking after us during honours, if we needed help they’d be willing,” Mr Abbey said.
alexandra.king@fairfaxmedia.com.au
