AUT Graduation becomes a family affair

AUT Graduation becomes a family affair

It’s not every day that a parent gets to sit proudly in the audience and watch their child graduate from University, but it’s less often that they watch from side of stage as they graduate themselves – let alone both parents. However, that was the situation for the Clarke family at this year’s AUT Summer Graduation.

Yesterday Ashley Clarke and her parents — in the eighth and final ceremony of graduation week — joined the more than 4,000 students graduating with new qualifications from AUT University. Ashley graduating with her three-year Nursing Degree, her Mother, Sharlene, graduating postgraduate studies in Advanced Nursing Practice, and her Father, Russell, from postgraduate studies in Paramedicine and Advanced Resuscitation.

Ashley’s Bachelor in Health Science degree in fact the same undergraduate degree as both her Father, who graduated from AUT in 2004 and now works as an Intensive Care Paramedic with the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust, and Mother, who graduated AUT in 2009 and now works as an Associate Clinical Charge Nurse in the Emergency Department at Waitakere Hospital.

Ashley’s Bachelor’s Degree is one of 2637 that has been awarded as part of the eight AUT Summer Graduation ceremonies held at Auckland’s Aotea Centre. Her Dad’s Postgraduate Certificate was one of 255 handed out and her Mum’s Postgraduate Diploma one of 354 awarded. Additional qualifications awarded during the week included 430 Master’s and 66 Doctoral Degrees, all up contributing to more than 4,000 new qualifications from AUT.

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