Some 14 students attended a graduation ceremony at the CUC. Photos: Nathaniel Vearing.
A record 40 students have received degrees from universities across Australia in 2023-24 through a remote learning facility enabling them to study without leaving their home town of Griffith or Leeton.
The Country Universities Centre (CUC) Western Riverina held a graduation ceremony on Friday (29 November) to celebrate this achievement.
Given that neither Griffith nor Leeton has a university, the centre was established in 2019 to provide students enrolled in courses at tertiary institutions and TAFE with access to a campus-like facility with computers, internet access, academic advisers, programs, social events and mentorship while they studied remotely.
Markala Johnston, a 28-year-old who completed her teaching degree, brought many in the room to tears when delivering a keynote speech about what graduating meant to her.
“I was once told in school that I would never make it to university because of my limited writing skills,” she said.
“Back then, I missed a lot of school due to various illnesses and I had the label of being ‘dumb’.
“I felt like I always had a backpack full of bricks. But the thing about bricks is they can weigh you down or they can help you build something, and tonight they’ve helped me build a graduation.”
CUC staff (from left) Filomena Pingiaro, Maddi Ramponi, Shiron Kirkman and Amy Brown have supported the students.
Ms Johnston grew up in a small town near Forster and moved with her partner to Griffith, where a CUC enabled her to enrol in a course by Perth’s Curtin University.
“Living in the middle of nowhere, where the next town over was another planet, I first heard about this centre over the radio … something nudged me to give this and university a crack and I’m so glad I did,” she said.
“This centre didn’t just offer me opportunities, it became my home away from home. Honestly, if this place had a shower, I would live here.”
Centre support officer Maddi Ramponi wants more people to follow Ms Johnston’s lead.
“What we want people to know is that we are here for everyone,” she said. ”If you’re going away to study or staying in Griffith, we are always contactable. Our facility is even open over the Christmas-New Year period.
“I always stress that no matter how old you are or where you are from, there is always a place for education in your life.”
Some 819 students have registered at the centre over the past five years, 44 per cent of whom became the first in their family to undertake a higher education qualification.
In total so far, 93 students have graduated and completed their course of study.
The centre in funded by the State and Federal governments, with support from Griffith and Leeton councils.
Centre manager Shiron Kirkman said she expected the CUC to continue to grow.
“We are in for a big year next year,” she said. ”We have a lot of widening participation planned within the schools. We’ll be talking to students in Griffith and Leeton and letting them know there are many different pathways to get a degree.”
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