CONGRADULATIONS: Border uni graduates ready to 'make a difference in the world'

Miss Keough was one of 265 graduates to celebrate their completion of studies at Charles Sturt University at Albury Entertainment Centre on Tuesday morning, April 23.

Inspired by what she loves to do, Miss Keough studied a bachelor of speech and language pathology.

"I love to talk, and I thought it was a little bit unfair that some people don't have the means and the ways of talking," she said.

"Getting into speech was really about giving people the ability to do what I love to do."

The Wagga resident said it was important for her to stay in the area to study.

"It's just one of those things I come from a smaller community so being able to stay here and give back to the community that got me through university is definitely a blessing," she said.

Miss Keough said the degree has not come without its challenges.

"I think a big one is unpaid placements," she said.

"We did a bit over 20 weeks worth of unpaid placement in the last year and a bit of my degree, you can't hold a job during that time.

"You're sent here, there, and everywhere."

The graduate said she could not have done it without the support from her parents and had also received scholarships and grants from the university.

She said she encourages anyone who is considering studying to pursue it.

"I think just jump in and have a go," she said.

"I think a lot of people start a degree and aren't too sure if it's what they want to do, and that's totally fine.

"I know plenty of people that move degrees halfway through, and it's just so normal.

"University is a fabulous thing, and extra learning is amazing, and everyone should have a crack if they want to."

Miss Keough has started working at Marathon Health, the university's healthcare service in Thurgoona.

Friends and work colleagues Natalie Finlay, of Table Top, and Chloe Turra, of Albury, both share the same passion for helping others.

Miss Finlay graduated with a bachelor of physiotherapy.

"I've always just had an interest in physio and interest in the anatomy and physiology of the human body, so I thought, why not?" she said.

"May as well just give it a go and see where it takes me.

"Very grateful the opportunity can go into a niche market as well with physio."

She said the pandemic made learning difficult, but took any opportunity she could to learn.

"Especially with our degree during our time, COVID was a big thing," she said.

"So not being able to be on campus for those more practical subjects was made a bit tricky, especially being online with it all.

"It is a bit hard, but just overcoming that and taking advantage of our placements and stuff to do more hands-on work."

Miss Turra graduated with a bachelor of occupational therapy.

She said her degree also had its challenges.

"Placement is definitely a big one, it's quite expensive, and it's hard being away from people that you know, like travelling around Australia to do placement," she said.

"It's just really challenging."

However, her passion for health and seeing her work make a difference made it all worth it.

"I've always had a passion for helping people at a time of need, and occupational therapy is a perfect degree for that," she said.

They have both received graduate positions at Flex Out Health in Albury.

Charles Sturt Vice- Chancellor Professor Renée Leon, said graduates have the opportunity to give back to the Border.

"The thing about studying regionally is that it really fills the skills that regional communities need," she said.

"So of our students who study regionally, 75 per cent of them stay on in the regions to live and work.

"So nearly all these students graduating today are already working in their field, contributing to the communities of the regions with the skills that we need for our regional communities to thrive."

The vice-chancellor gave some words of advice for the new graduates.

"To just really be true to themselves, to take the opportunities that higher education gives them, and to follow their passions to make a difference in the world," she said.