Celebrating our 100,000th graduation

A message from the Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Greg Craven.

Last week I had the honour of being the Presiding Officer at a Faculty of Health Sciences graduation ceremony in Melbourne.

It’s always a special experience to be part of a graduation ceremony. It’s an opportunity to congratulate our students on a very significant milestone in their lives and to welcome them to our Alumni community.

However, this graduation ceremony was especially significant, as it marked our 100,000^th graduate conferral.

ACU’s 100,000^th testamur was given to Ianee Plaza, a 21-year-old Bachelor of Nursing graduate.

How fitting that Ianee studied a Bachelor of Nursing – a degree that is synonymous with ACU.

Ianee began her journey with ACU in 2014 when she was accepted into our Community Achiever Program (formerly the Early Achievers’ Program).

She commenced her studies with us in 2015 and last year was the recipient of the Emergency Nursing Advocacy Bursary from St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne.

This bursary offers financial support to recipients, along with the opportunity to interview for a graduate year at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne.

Interestingly, Ianee’s decision to pursue nursing was inspired by a nurse at the very same hospital, who offered compassion and support to her mother while she was being treated for thyroid cancer six years ago.

Today, Ianee’s mother is well and Ianee is working as a graduate nurse at St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne.

Ianee describes nursing as an honorable and humbling profession. She says that at the end of each day she feels fulfilled and knows she is making a difference.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Craven presented Ianee Plaza with ACU's 100,000th testamur. 

The idea of making a positive impact in the world each day, is one we hope all our graduates will pursue. To not only to be professionally successful, but also to give back and make an impact in the lives of others.

Reaching 100,000 graduate conferrals is a major achievement for ACU and one that speaks to our growth, maturity and reputation.

When ACU was formed in 1991, four Catholic tertiary institutions came together to create one national University. Some of those institutes had their origins in organisations that were formed when religious orders became involved in preparing nurses for Catholic hospitals.

And now, 27 years later, the recipient of our 100,000^th testamur, Ianee Plaza, has graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing.

Ianee is already making an impact by helping others, as so many ACU graduates have done before her and many more will continue to do into the future.