AMONG a cohort of 2200 students to graduate from the University of Canberra recently stood Goulburn student Nicholas Calleja.
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The 24-year-old was one of 20 graduates from the local district to be honoured that day for completing their higher education studies.
Mr Calleja received a bachelor of commerce at the ceremony, held in the Great Hall at Parliament House in early April.
"I feel it has been a great accomplishment to be graduating," he said. "It was a hard five years. I had to learn to balance a lot of things when I was studying."
Mr Calleja undertook a cadetship with Goulburn-based Boyce Chartered Accountants while regularly commuting to the Canberra campus.
He said some of the highlights of his time at university was learning how to find motivation and the opportunity to meet like-minded people.
"It was great to get the chance to talk to people of my own age and discuss a broad range of topics, not only in our field, but things like philosophy or politics," he said.
Speaking of politics, Mr Calleja is presently serving as a convenor for the Goulburn branch of The Greens national political party. "Being a convenor is great," he said.
"It's definitely interesting, and challenging sometimes. It's given me some good opportunities.
"I'm also really keen to be working with our Hume candidate, Michaela Sherwood, and letting the electorate find out more about her."
He thanked Boyce Chartered Accountants for their continued support and encouragement of his studies throughout his degree.
"I've been really lucky to have the support of my employer," he said.
"Not many students get the opportunity to go into a paid job in their chosen field while at uni.
"They often struggle doing unpaid internships and volunteer work once they graduate."
Other graduates among the 20, as noted by the University of Canberra in correspondence to the Post, included:
- Amie-Lea Friend (Goulburn), 26, with a bachelor of education and a potential master's program in her sights, is now teaching food technology and textiles at the high school she attended (Goulburn High).
- Jenna Chambers (Marulan), with a bachelor of justice studies and 16 units to complete towards a law degree, continues to work as an assistant paralegal at Goulburn-based law firm Fragomen.
- Amber Calvert (Goulburn), 23, with a bachelor of education, is moving to London for two years to teach and see the world.
- Jordan Huntley (Goulburn), 22, with a bachelor of education, is working at a primary school in Goulburn with a Year 1 class, and gave thanks to the "daily carpool" that took her to campus while she studied.
- Shenae Spencer (Goulburn), 22, with a bachelor of education, is teaching a three-quarter class at Goulburn North Public School, and "it's awesome".