UCOL Wairarapa Celebrates Graduates’ Achievements

News Release

Monday 21 March 2013

UCOL Wairarapa Celebrates Graduates’ Achievements

UCOL Wairarapa will hold its annual Graduation Ceremony on Thursday 21 March at the Masterton Town Hall with 176 students eligible to Graduate with Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates.

At Thursday’s Ceremony, Graduates will be awarded qualifications in Health Science, Nursing, Early Childhood Education & Care, Business Administration and Computing, Carpentry, Hairdressing, Beauty Services, Sport and Exercise, Automotive, Joinery, Contemporary Music, Cookery and Baking.

The largest group is those graduating Bachelor of Nursing, with 23 graduates. The Graduate numbers include eleven Certificate in Cookery and Hospitality students, 18 Health Science Certificate graduates and the first eight graduates of UCOL Wairarapa’s new Certificate in Contemporary Music Performance programme.

During the Ceremony, Jean McCombie will be conferred an Honorary Associate award, a UCOL Council award made to people who have made a significant and distinguished contribution to the life and work of UCOL and/or to the wider community.

Local identity and former Masterton Mayor Bob Francis is Guest Speaker at the Ceremony. Last year Mr Francis was awarded an Honorary Fellowship for his outstanding and distinguished contribution to UCOL and the wider community.

Campus Manager Angela Hewitt says Graduation is an important time to acknowledge and thank the community groups, businesses and organisations who support UCOL Wairarapa, its staff and students.

“We have also given priority to maintaining and building up our community links – so apparent in the attendance at our Graduation Ceremonies of representatives of so many regional, community organisations.”

“Our Carpentry students have helped build a house for charity, our Exercise and Sport students have organized activities in schools and students across so many of our programmes have had hands on experience in workplaces within a variety of industries relevant to their qualification,” says Angela. “Even before Graduation, UCOL Wairarapa students are already a working force within their community. We are grateful to local businesses for making themselves available for work experience and contributing to student success.”

Three Wairarapa mayors, Ron Mark (Carterton), Garry Daniell (Masterton) and Adrienne Staples (South Wairarapa) have accepted invitations to attend.

The Ceremony starts at 1.30pm. At the conclusion, at approximately 3.00pm, the Graduates and UCOL staff members will form a procession through the streets of Masterton, back to the UCOL Wairarapa campus for light refreshments.

Background on Jean McCombie

Jean McCombie’s commitment to education in the Wairarapa region is longstanding and substantial, commencing as a teacher at Makoura College.
She then led the Community Action Programme team that initiated the provision of tertiary education in the Wairarapa. This resulted in the opening of the Wairarapa Community Polytechnic in 1989, built on what is now the UCOL campus.

As Chief Executive of the former Community Polytechnic, Ms McCombie worked closely with UCOL before its merger with the polytechnic in 2001. As Chair of Wairarapa REAP (Rural Education Activities Programme) she continues an association with UCOL and with education in the community

ENDS

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