UON graduates celebrated

Wednesday, 27 September 2017

More than 1200 graduates from the University of Newcastle (UON) will cross the stage of the Great Hall this week to receive the official document that marks the completion of their studies.

Graduation ceremony

Surrounded by their friends and families, undergraduate and postgraduate students across five faculties will don their caps and gowns to take part in graduation ceremonies being held on Thursday 28 September and Friday 29 September at Callaghan campus.

One of this year’s graduate speakers, Connie-Lee Dixon, said she fell into an engineering degree due to a love of maths and is now using that background to pursue her long-held dream of being a military pilot.

“I was in my final year of a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering when I rediscovered my passion to fly planes rather than fix them. Studying engineering was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and three weeks after handing in my final year project, I joined the Air Force.

“My degree gave me a baseline understanding of mechanical systems which I’ve been able to apply to the aircraft systems. As a pilot, knowing how the system works and how to fix it if something goes wrong can be lifesaving,” Connie said.

UON’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Caroline McMillen, said graduation was an opportunity to reflect on the transformative impact that education can have on an individual’s life.

“Graduation is a grounding and inspirational moment for not only the students and their families, but also the University. It represents the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, trials, tribulations and personal growth that cannot be measured by marks alone.

“It is a proud moment for UON to watch the next generation of talented graduates cross the stage and embark on the beginning of their remarkable careers with a world-class education behind them,” Professor McMillen said.


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