Brisbane to Torres Strait graduation adventure

A magical adventure on a tropical island where beautiful children keep you laughing and there is never a dull moment.

This isn’t a pacific island holiday blurb, but the description Education graduate Sarah McCauley uses for her new life as a first year teacher at Tagai State College on Saibai Island in the Torres Strait, just three kilometres from Papua New Guinea.

Sarah donned ceremonial regalia to celebrate her conferring of her Bachelor of Education (Primary and Middle Schooling) degree at the Ipswich Civic Centre on Saturday 7 May, but for her the adventure had already begun.

Following the completion of her program Ms McCauley found herself moving from a simple enquiry about a remote teaching position to sitting on a plane on her way to tropical Saibai Island all in the matter of three weeks.

'I had ticked the teaching paperwork box to go anywhere state-wide, but this time last year I never thought I would be in the Torres Strait teaching,' Ms McCauley said.

'It has turned out to be the best decision I have ever made though.

'There are only around 360 people living on the Island, so it is very different from Brisbane.

'Here everyone knows you and you are outside your comfort zone in a completely different culture and setting.

'I knew no one on the island when I arrived but have since made great friends with other new graduates teaching at the same school and the locals.'

Ms McCauley said the teaching position at Tagai State College is not without its challenges.

'I have a Year 2 and 3 class and in some cases English is their fourth language.

'We have Islander Teacher Aides though and they can translate if the students aren’t understanding instructions. Teaching English spelling rules can be quite difficult, but you find ways around these challenges.

'Also, teaching on an Island means that you can’t just go down to Officeworks to get supplies, so you have to plan ahead or make do with the resources you have.

'The students are just so beautiful, really friendly and so eager to learn, they just want to please you. They make you laugh and the more you laugh the better they respond to you.'

During her free-time Ms McCauley lives an enviable life boating to private, white sand Island’s she and her teaching friends have dubbed their own little Fiji and finds herself too busy to miss friends and family.

'The students will come and invite us to go out swimming or play skittles and it is just loads of fun.

'I’d recommend a remote teaching placement to any education student as not only is it an amazing adventure at a time when you may not have anything to tie you down, but it also offers immediate permanency.'

USQ Springfield campus Director Doug Fraser said 123 students would graduate next month, including 25 postgraduate graduands and a doctoral graduand.

'This is the first year we have held the ceremony at the Ipswich Civic Centre as we have outgrown the Springfield campus Auditorium,” Mr Fraser said.

'The University would like to congratulate its graduands and looks forward to marking this important occasion.'

The first graduation ceremony for the Faculty of Education, Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Business and Law and Faculty of Science at the Ipswich Civic Hall was on Saturday 7 May at 2.30pm.

Graduands also took part in a Graduation March from the bottom of the Ipswich City Mall to the Ipswich Civic Centre, departing at 2.15pm to signify the association between the University and the City of Ipswich.

Media are invited to attend all of these events.