Media Release
March 30 2009
UniSA celebrates 100,000th graduate
View
the Channel 7 news report on YouTube.
Charlotte
Mukamuberwa donned her cap and gown as UniSA’s 100,000th graduate.
South Australia’s youngest and most dynamic university held
graduation ceremonies for thousands of students at Festival Theatre from
March 30 through to April 3. A ceremony will be held for regional students
at the Middleback Theatre in Whyalla on April 17.
Charlotte, who is originally from Rwanda, graduated with a Bachelor
of Commerce.
“I left my country due to war and when I first arrived here in 2005, it
was hard to get a job,” she said.
“There was an expectation that African people would do factory work here
… it was hard for us to get office work. But I want to be an example to
African people here that we can do anything.”
Vice Chancellor Peter Høj said while all graduates were important to
UniSA, the 100,000th graduate was
an exciting milestone.
“When the SA Government introduced legislation into Parliament in 1990
to create UniSA, it charged the university with the responsibility to
provide tertiary education programs to groups in the community which had
suffered disadvantages in education,” Professor Høj said.
“Today, among its many achievements, UniSA can claim to be a leader in
providing equitable access to education for students from a diverse
range of geographical, cultural, educational and socio-economic
backgrounds, while at the same time having grown its total annual income
for research income to more than $50 million.
“UniSA is one of the most international universities in Australia, with
students from more than 60 countries. We also have many students who are
the first in their family to attend university.”
Professor Høj said UniSA had grown considerably since it was formed in
1991.
“We have more than 34,000 students and we currently graduate about 8500
students every year,” he said.
“UniSA offers almost 400 degree programs and is the only university in
South Australia to offer programs in physiotherapy, pharmacy, podiatry,
medical radiation, civil aviation, journalism, property, human movement
and construction management.
“We’re really proud of what we’ve achieved and even more proud of our
graduates.”
Charlotte worked in IT in Rwanda as a computer programmer before coming
to Australia. She applied to study at UniSA after completing an Advanced
Diploma in Accounting at TAFE.
She said UniSA was her “only choice” when she wanted to further her
qualifications because of its location and quality of education.
“I really enjoyed the student life at UniSA,” she said.
“It was challenging, but I had a great time. The lecturers were helpful
and there were a lot of students from other cultures whom I enjoyed
working with during group assignments.
“I worked really hard and did the summer courses to fast-track getting
my degree. I’m very focussed and I can do anything I put my mind to …
nothing can be hard.”
Charlotte is hoping to find a permanent or graduate position in accounting or
finance.
Media contact
- Kelly Stone office (08) 8302 0963 mobile 0417 861 832 email kelly.stone@unisa.edu.au