Graduation speeches
School of Communications and Arts, WAAPA and Kurongkurl Katitjin - Graduate Speaker
Sunday, 19 January 2014
Miss Elizabeth Aitken
When I was asked to speak today my initial reaction was one of sheer dread. Funnily enough this feeling hit me again this morning. I thought, what do I know? Who am I to speak for all these people?Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science - Graduate Speaker
Sunday, 19 January 2014
Ms Kylie Prior
I am sure all of the students graduating here today will agree with me when I say the road to this point has not always been an easy one. Before we started university we weren’t sure whether we were capable of pursuing a university education whilst dealing with the demands of everyday life.
School of Communications and Arts, WAAPA and Kurongkurl Katitjin - Occasional Speaker
Sunday, 19 January 2014
Mr Greg Pearce
To graduate in your chosen field is a wonderful achievement of which you should be very proud. Congratulations on persevering and getting to this day but, as I’m sure you’ve been told many times; this is just the beginning. Education is a privilege and shouldn’t be thought of as ending when you leave ECU. Hopefully you’ll continue the education process for the rest of your life.
Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science - Graduate Speaker
Sunday, 19 January 2014
Mr Kenneth Eaton
Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen and fellow graduates.
My congratulations to all our fantastic graduates here today.
Faculy of Business and Law - Graduate Speaker
Saturday, 18 January 2014
Ms Sarah Clutterbuck
I have been asked to speak on behalf of the graduating students today - an invitation I was both honoured and terrified to accept. It is no small task to sum up four, five, and for some graduates, even six or more years of study - especially when there are so many of us from such varied disciplines, each with their own unique experiences and memories. But I'll do my best.
Faculty of Business and Law - Occasional Speaker
Saturday, 18 January 2014
Mr Brad McManus
Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, members of the Governing Council, members of the Faculty of Business and Law, distinguished guests, proud parents and above all, Graduates, good evening and thank you for the honour and the thrill of being here with you on this magnificent occasion.
School of Education - Occasional Speaker
Saturday, 18 January 2014
Dr Annie Fogarty
Thank you Chancellor and thank you to Edith Cowan University. To receive an Honorary Doctorate is a great privilege and I am particularly honoured to receive it in the essential area of education.
Faculty of Business and Law - Occasional Speaker
Sunday, 15 September 2013
The Honourable Chief Justice Wayne Martin AC QC
Chancellor Mr Hendy Cowan, Vice-Chancellor Professor Kerry Cox and other distinguished guests too numerous to mention, but perhaps most importantly of all, fellow graduands. Before going any further, I would like to join with the acknowledgement of the traditional owners of the lands on which we meet, the Wadjuk people who form part of the great Nyoongar clan of south-western Australia, and to pay my respects to their Elders past and present.
Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science - Occasional Speaker
Sunday, 15 September 2013
Mr Steve Joske
I would firstly like to thank the Vice-Chancellor and the University for the invitation to address you today. I consider it an honour to be able to speak to you on such a memorable occasion as this graduation ceremony.
Faculty of Education and Arts - Graduate Speaker
Sunday, 15 September 2013
Ms Lisa Hannaford
Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, fellow graduates, I find it easy to pinpoint the time when I realised I knew where I wanted to take my life. I grew up on what was classed a 'remote' cattle farm in the heart of the South West, and being so rural, we were pretty cut off.
Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science - Graduate Speaker
Sunday, 15 September 2013
Ms Priya Rabadia
Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, fellow graduates, it is truly an honour and a privilege to be speaking to you all today. Firstly I would like to say congratulations to all those who are graduating. I hope your degree has led you on the path you would like to be on. Choosing your own path in life is easy for some, you know the path you want to take.
Faculty of Regional Professional Studies - Graduate Speaker
Saturday Saturday, 16 February 2013, 6.00pm
Ms Nicole Teague
Good evening Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, and Fellow Graduates. Thank you for the kind introduction, my name is Nicole Teague and I would like to welcome you all to the graduating ceremony here at the Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre.
Faculty of Regional Professional Studies - Occasional Speaker
Saturday, 16 February 2013, 6.00pm
Dr Robyn Mundy
Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, Council Members, Dean, Associate Dean, fellow Academics, guests of Edith Cowan University, families, friends, and most importantly: our graduates. It is an honour and a real thrill to be sharing this happy occasion with you. To graduate from University rates amongst life's big moments, and if the immensity of the achievement hasn't fully sunk in, in time I trust it will.
School of Medical Sciences; Nursing and Midwifery and Psychology and Social Science - Occasional Speaker
Sunday, 20 January 2013, 7.00pm
Ms Helen Grinbergs
In preparing for this address I tried to recall the occasion of my own graduation from the Australian National University some 20 years ago now and admit it is all a blur and the dinner and drinks with my fellow archaeology graduates and their families was far more memorable.
School of Computer and Security Science; Engineering; Exercise and Health Sciences and Natural Sciences - Occasional Speaker
Sunday, 20 January 2013, 3.00pm
Emeritus Professor Tony Watson
The Chancellor, the Honourable Dr Hendy Cowan, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kerry Cox, distinguished guests, colleagues, parents and friends of the graduates and importantly the graduates of ECU who I congratulate on your success which brings you here today.
Faculty of Business and Law - Graduate Speaker
Sunday, 20 January 2013, 10.30am
Mr Anthony Scott
Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentleman and most importantly, Fellow Graduates. It is a great honour to speak at this ceremony today on behalf of all my fellow business and law students collecting their parchments, as well as those who could not be here for this momentous occasion.
School of Communications and Arts, Kurongkurl Katitjin and WAAPA - Occasional Speaker
Saturday, 19 January 2013, 6.00pm
Mr Scott Henderson
Chancellor, thank you for your introduction and I am grateful for the opportunity to talk this evening. Ladies and gentlemen good evening. Graduates I congratulate you on reaching a milestone in your life, and the commencement of what should be a very exciting period - exactly how exciting is up to you, and I would like to talk about a couple of things on my journey so far that may be of interest.
School of Communications and Arts, Kurongkurl Katitjin and WAAPA - Graduate Speaker
Saturday, 19 January 2013, 6.00pm
Mr Stephen Moore
It's an immense honour and a privilege to be standing here today as I'm sure many of you, for whom today marks your graduation, would agree. This afternoon, as I donned the gown, slid the sash over my shoulders and tried to figure out how to avoid getting hat hair with this thing, the immensity of the occasion hit me. For some of us, today marks the end of 2, 3, 5 years of study or longer, within ECU. But for everyone, as cliché as it may sound, it marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.
School of Education - Graduate Speaker
Saturday, 19 January 2013, 1.00pm
Ms Courtney Stott
Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Fellow Graduates. It has been a rewarding and challenging year for all who have been completing their Education studies at ECU.
Faculty of Computing, Health and Science - Graduate Speaker
Sunday, 7 October 2012, 10.30am
Mrs Ashleigh McEvoy
Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, fellow graduates. It is indeed a great honour to have been chosen from amongst such an outstanding group of graduates to speak on behalf of you all.
Faculty of Business and Law - Graduate Speaker
Sunday, 7 October 2012, 7.00pm
Ms Rebecca Wang
Vice-Chancellor Professor Kerry Cox, Faculty, staff, family, friends, and fellow graduates, good evening! Congratulations to all the graduates and I am honoured to share this special moment with you all. We are here to celebrate achieving the largest milestone of our lives so far and to embrace the start of the next chapter.
Faculty of Computing, Health and Science - Occasional Speaker
Sunday, 7 October 2012, 10.30am
Dr Warren Snell
I’d like to talk to you today about our University, our ECU. I’ll touch on its origins, identify some of the major, indeed transformational, changes that have taken place over the last 25 years or so, and outline the key attributes or characteristics of the institution which I believe have facilitated this transformational change.
Faculty of Business and Law - Occasional Speaker
Sunday, 7 October 2012, 7.00pm
Mayor Troy Pickard
Good evening everyone and can I say it is an absolute pleasure to be here for this very special occasion, one that brings back many fond memories for me.
Faculty of Regional Professional Studies - Graduate Speaker
Saturday, 25 February 2012 at 6.00pm
Ms Thea McDonald-Lee
Chancellor (Hendy Cowan), Vice-Chancellor (Kerry Cox), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, fellow graduands and guests. Life is all about changes. Some changes are big and take many months to work through. Others changes happen in an instant. Moving from Scotland to Bunbury to study at Edith Cowan University was a change of both types for me.
School of Communications and Arts; Kurongkurl Katitjin and WAAPA - Occasional Speaker
Sunday, 22 January at 3.00pm
Professor Colleen Hayward
Thank you Chancellor. I begin by acknowledging that we are meeting on lands that are part of the traditional country of the people of the Nyoongar nation. In doing so, I pay my respects to Nyoongar Elders, past and present, including the wonderful Dr Noel Nannup who delivered the Welcome to Country.
School of Education - Student Speaker
Sunday, 22 January at 3.00pm
Mr Andrew Mayhills
Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Fellow Graduates. I cannot deny that I have spent a great deal of time deliberating over what it is I wanted to say at this graduation ceremony. I think I speak for the entire cohort of education graduates in saying that today is truly an occasion of mixed emotions.
School of Education - Occasional Speaker
Sunday, 22 January at 3.00pm
Mr Geoff Metcalf
Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, and guests of Edith Cowan University, families and friends of the graduands, and most importantly graduands. Please accept my warmest congratulations to you, your families and to those who have helped you along the way towards achieving this success today.
Faculty of Business and Law - Occasional Speaker
Sunday, 22 January at 10.30am
Ms Cheryl Gwilliam
Thank you Pro-Chancellor, good morning graduates, faculty, parents, family and friends. Firstly congratulations graduates! Thank you for the honour of allowing me to be a part of your graduation ceremony. I am sure the challenges you have faced in the seemingly endless hours of reading, listening to lectures and preparation of papers, are still fresh in your mind.
Faculty of Business and Law - Graduate Speaker
Sunday, 22 January 2012 at 10.30am
Ms Rebecca Olsen
Sunday, 22 January 2012 at 10.30am
Ms Rebecca Olsen
Chancellor; Vice-chancellor; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen; fellow graduates; family and friends. It is an honour to speak today on behalf of the student body. Well Toto, we are not in Kansas anymore.
School of Medical Sciences; Nursing and Midwifery and Psychology and Social Science - Occasional Speaker
Saturday, 21 January at 6.00pm
Associate Professor Catherine Stoddart
Good Evening Chancellor, The Honourable Dr Hendy Cowan; Vice Chancellor, Professor Kerry Cox; distinguished guests; academics; graduates; family and friends. I am honoured to be speaking tonight, a night which represents the culmination of a great deal of effort as perhaps an entrant to a profession that I hope you are passionate about, or building on your expertise and knowledge.
School of Medical Sciences; Nursing and Midwifery and Psychology and Social Science - Graduate Speaker
Saturday, 21 January at 6.00pm
Ms Stephany Oromo
Good evening Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, distinguished guests, my fellow graduates, ladies and gentlemen. Today we are gathered here to celebrate our success. Success that was achieved from hard work, but that has been achieved, mainly by adhering to the ECU graduate attributes.
School of Computer and Security Science; Engineering; Exercise and Health Sciences and Natural Sciences - Occasional Speaker
Saturday, 21 January at 1.00pm
Professor Robert Newton
2012 marks the 10th year that Edith Cowan University has been researching a very powerful medicine. Each year we find new ways to prescribe this medicine and more diseases for which it is a very effective treatment.
Faculty of Computing Health and Science - Occasional Speaker
Sunday, 25 September 2011, 6.00pm
Janet Holmes à Court
Chancellor, I am aware that universities do not bestow these honours lightly, and I most humbly thank you, the Governing Council and the university community for honouring me in this way.
Faculty of Education and Arts - Student Speaker
Sunday, 23 January 2011, 6.00pm
Mr Matthew Shields
Pro-Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Fellow Graduates and those, once again, morning the loss of the ashes! It is with great honor that I am standing here to speak on behalf of the student body.
Faculty of Education and Arts (WAAPA) - Student Speaker
Sunday, 23 January 2011, 1.00pm
Ms Ella McNeill
Pro-Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Fellow Graduates... when faced with the daunting task of presenting a speech that was both humorous and inspirational for our graduating ceremony, I naturally turned to the one reliable source of information in the new age…YouTube.
Faculty of Computing, Health and Science - Student Speaker
Saturday, 22 January 2011, 6.00pm
Ms Avril Fairclough
Chancellor, Vice-chancellor, Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Fellow Graduates, it’s an honour to be speaking to you all today. I must say though, that writing this speech has brought back many memories of my time at university like little else has.
Faculty of Business and Law - Student Speaker
Saturday, 22 January 2011, 1.00pm
Mr Grant Cox
Chancellor, Vice-chancellor, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, fellow graduates, family and friends. It is a great honour for me to have the opportunity to speak here today on behalf of the student body.
Faculty of Business and Law - Occasional Speaker
Saturday, 28 August 2010, 7.00pm
Ms Denise McComish
Tonight marks the beginning of the next journey for the ECU Graduating Class of 2010. It’s the perfect time to take a moment and reflect on your achievements. It is inspiring to see so many friends and families proudly enjoying this celebration.
Faculty of Business and Law - Student Speaker
Saturday, 28 August 2010, 7.00pm
Miss Aodong Mei
Good evening Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, honoured guests, staff, fellow graduates, family and friends. Right now, I can feel myself trembling standing in front of so many excellent graduates, and I feel deeply honoured and privileged to be able to share with all of you the joy and pleasure of this very special moment in our lives.
Faculty of Computing, Health and Science - Occasional Speaker
Saturday, 28 August 2010, 2.30pm
Professor Ralph Martins
Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, distinguished guests, university, colleagues, graduands, ladies and gentlemen. I too would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of this land and pay my respects to their elders, both past and present.
Faculty of Education and Arts - Occasional Speaker
Saturday, 28 August 2010, 10.30am
Superintendent Craig Donaldson
Good Morning and congratulations to you all. Isn’t it a great feeling when the lectures are over, you feel that sense of achievement and are one step closer to realising your full potential in your chosen field.
Faculty of Computing, Health and Science - Honorary Doctorate recipient and Occasional Speaker
Sunday, 31 January 2010, 1.00pm
Professor Fiona Stanley AC
Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, and guests of Edith Cowan University, families and friends of the graduands, and most importantly graduands.
Faculty of Education and Arts - Occasional speaker
Sunday, 17 January 2010, 6.00pm
Dr Ruth Shean
Congratulations to you all. Congratulations to friends and family members present. Other people’s qualifications can be extremely hard work, and especially so for you key supporters who have assisted in so many ways: you have probably forgiven grumpy moods and forgotten household tasks.
Faculty of Business and Law - Honorary Doctorate speech
Sunday, 17 January 2010, 1.00pm
Dr Sam Walsh
Good afternoon Pro-Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to have the opportunity to address you this afternoon.
Faculty of Business and Law - Student speaker
Sunday, 6 September 2009, 6.00pm
Miss Snezhana Torgasheva
Chancellor; Vice-chancellor; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen; fellow graduates; family and friends. It is a great honour and privilege that I have the opportunity to speak here tonight on behalf of the student body.
Faculty of Computing, Health and Science and Faculty of Education and Arts - Occasional speaker
Sunday, 6 September 2009, 1.00pm
Senator Chris Back
On behalf of the Faculty and staff and your families and friends, can I add my congratulations to you on this most important graduation day. For some of you it cannot have come quickly enough and for others, if you are like me, you probably wondered if it would ever come at all!
Faculty of Computing, Health and Science and Faculty of Education and Arts - Student speaker
Sunday, 6 September 2009, 1.00pm
Miss Amber Grech
Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Fellow Graduates; First and foremost, congratulations to the graduating class. We are here today to mark the completion of a chapter in our lives; to recognise our many achievements; to acknowledge the support of our teachers, family and friends; to remember and celebrate the journey we have taken to get here; and to express our dreams for the future.
Faculty of Computing, Health and Science - Occassional speaker
Sunday, 22 March 2009, 6.00pm
Catherine Stoddart, Adjunct Associate Professor
Good Evening Chancellor, The Honourable Hendy Cowan, Vice-Chancellor Professor Kerry Cox, Distinguished Guests, Graduates, Parents, Family and friends.
Faculty of Education and Arts - Honorary Doctorate speech
Sunday, 8 March 2009, 1.00pm
Dr Nathan (Norm) Hoffman
I feel privileged to be able to address today's group of graduating teachers. As a teacher myself I feel compelled to pass on to you something of what I've learned about our profession.
Faculty of Computing, Health and Science / Faculty of Business and Law - Graduation address
Sunday, 28 September 2008, 6.00pm
Professor Donna Cross
In preparing for this address I did some research to decide what I should present, especially given I couldn't remember a single word that was said by the speaker in my position when I graduated. The advice I received was to have a greatstart, and an even better finish, and to bring these two parts together as quickly as possible.
Faculty of Education and Arts - Student speaker
Sunday, 28 September 2008, 1.00pm
Janelle Ryan
For a long time I never thought there was anything for me at university. And strangely, my decision to start a degree actually came after I quit my job and went on the road with a band overseas. I had an amazing opportunity to photograph the band at some rather large events and although I did not want to be a music photographer, I did want to find out what more photomedia had to offer.
Faculty of Education and Arts - Occasional speaker
Sunday, 2 March 2008, 6.00pm
Mr Mario D’Orazio
I've been asked to discuss with you what value education, from the perspective of somebody who works in the media and, more specifically, a journalist in commercial television.
Faculty of Computing Health and Science - Student speaker
Sunday, 16 March 2008, 6.00pm
Eva Nezic
I stand here this evening looking out upon my fellow graduate-nursing colleagues and I am immediately struck by our apparent diversity. Wehave all come from varied educational, employment and cultural backgrounds and from this we brought together the variety of skills andabilities which made studying at Edith Cowan such a rewarding and memorable experience.
Faculty of Computing Health and Science - Honorary Doctorate speech
Sunday, 16 March 2008, 6.00pm
Dr Peter Larsen Director, Navitas Limited
Its a long time since I was the recipient of an award of any kind and I must admit I thought my days were numbered in that regard when I graduated from Ohio State University in December 1985... My apologies if I appear a little nervous - because I am! - but my usual role at such ceremonies is handing out awards and not being on the receiving end.
Faculty of Business and Law - Occasional speaker
Sunday, 16 March 2008, 1.00pm
Dr Robert Nicholson AO
Pro-chancellor, Vice-chancellor, members of the university, graduates and distinguished guests all:First may I say that today all the focus is on those who graduate. It is my honour to graduate with you. It is my pleasure to warmly congratulate all of you.
Faculty of Education and Arts (School of Education) - Student speaker
Sunday, 2 March 2008, 1.00pm
Michelle Raheb
Today I have been invited to speak to you about some of my experiences during my time at ECU, while I was studying to become a primary school teacher. These past four years have held for me some of the most significant moments that have led me to the point at which I am at now in my career.
Faculty of Education and Arts - Graduation address
Sunday, 2 March 2008, 1.00pm
Emeritus Professor Patrick Garnett
I am particularly delighted to present this address to graduates of the School of Education, because I commenced my working life as a secondary science teacher and my initial appointment at ECU was associated with the preparation of secondary science teachers.