Husband and wife set to graduate together

USQ education lecturer Petrea Redmond and her husband Mark, Innovation Manager for Ergon Energy, are preparing to celebrate the culmination of years of work when they graduate during this weekend’s USQ Graduation Ceremony.

More than 500 students from the Faculties of Education, Engineering and Surveying, Sciences, Arts and Business and Law are expected to don mortar boards and gowns this weekend for the midyear ceremonies. Despite hailing from different faculties, Petrea said the University was allowing her and Mark to graduate together during the morning’s Ceremony.

'We are very thankful to the Dean of Business who is allowing Mark to graduate at the Education ceremony so we can both graduate together’ she said.

Petrea will graduate with a PhD in Education, and Mark with a Masters of Information Systems. And while she is looking forward to graduating with Mark, Petrea said she was also proud to be the first in her family to complete a university degree.

'My dissertation was a result of compromise, patience, support, and encouragement, especially from my colleagues, family and friends. I’m very proud to be the only person in my extended family to achieve this level of education, and in fact, the only person in my family to have completed a university degree.'

Mark took up an apprenticeship with the then Telecom before finishing high school. He decided to further his skills and knowledge in relation to his management career and began studying at university. Mark completed a Bachelor of Business and is now looking forward to graduating with a Masters degree, showing that determination and hard work can pay off even later in life.

Petrea said she was also an unlikely scholar, believing she wouldn’t continue studying once she had commenced working as a teacher.

'I have a Diploma in Teaching (Commerce) and Bachelor of Business (Accounting) and Masters in Education (Educational Technology) and now the PhD. I started off as a high school teacher, in fact I even commented that as a teacher I would not need a master’s degree and now I’ve completed a PhD!

'I completed the Bachelor of Business thinking that if I ever give up teaching I’d have something else to fall back on.'

Contact Details:
Connie-Louise Rego, USQ Media, +61 7 4631 2977