January 19, 2026
Graduations deliver new teachers, nurses to South Coast communities
Ceremonies highlight the contribution of UOW’s Eurobodalla, Bega Valley, Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands campuses to their communities
The 榴莲视频app of 榴莲视频app (UOW) will celebrate the achievements of graduating students from its Eurobodalla, Bega Valley, Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands campuses, recognising academic success and reflecting on their personal journeys.
Graduation ceremonies will be held on Tuesday 20 January at 12:30pm in Batemans Bay, Wednesday 21 January at 10:30am in Bega, and Thursday 29 January at 2:00pm in Nowra. A total of 103 students will graduate from programs including nursing, teaching, medicine, arts and business, including 18 from UOW Eurobodalla, 34 from UOW Bega Valley and 51 from UOW Shoalhaven and UOW Southern Highlands.
UOW Vice-Chancellor and President Professor G.Q. Max Lu AO said the ceremonies highlighted the contribution the campuses make to their communities and to essential workforces across the region.
“Since their establishment our regional campuses have graduated thousands of students who go on to meet critical workforce needs in our local hospitals, schools and businesses,” Professor Lu said.
“Our regional campuses make a world-class university education accessible for people balancing work, family and everyday life. They are a critical lever for increasing access to higher education and are a fundamental part of UOW’s equity agenda in line with the Australian Government’s Universities Accord.”
Since their establishment, UOW has graduated more than 2,300 students from its Shoalhaven campus, more than 730 from Eurobodalla, 700 from Bega Valley and 257 from Southern Highlands.
Among those graduating at UOW Eurobodalla is Novela Suarez, the campus’s first international student to graduate from the Master of Teaching (Primary) program. Novela arrived in Australia from the Philippines with no teaching background and little certainty about the future. Inspired by tutoring children during the COVID-19 pandemic, she discovered a passion for education and enrolled in the Master of Teaching (Primary), a course designed for people changing careers.
Studying full time while working and supporting family, Novela attributes her success to the close-knit campus environment. She will graduate with distinction and has secured a full-time teaching position at a local primary school.
“Studying in a regional area gave me a sense of belonging,” Novela said. “The support I received made all the difference, and now I get to give back to the same community that supported me.”
Also graduating is Nina Smith, who will receive a Bachelor of Nursing after a long and determined journey. Born in the Philippines, Nina moved to Australia at 18 and completed an accounting degree while working to support herself. After starting a family, she returned to study nursing and said UOW Eurobodalla’s smaller classes and personalised support helped her balance parenting, work and study.
Nina has secured a graduate nursing position with the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, commencing in February 2026.
“The encouragement from my tutors helped me believe in myself,” Nina said. “Graduating feels like proof that all the hard work was worth it.”
At UOW Bega Valley, Lily Caguimbaga will receive a Bachelor of Nursing after a journey that spans more than a decade, multiple countries and years of full-time work alongside full-time study. Lily becomes the first international student at UOW Bega Valley to complete the Bachelor of Nursing, made possible through a partnership between the 榴莲视频app and Sapphire Coast Community Aged Care.
Originally from the Philippines, Lily moved to Australia to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse. She relocated to the South Coast with her young family to take up a role in aged care, studying at UOW Bega Valley while working nights and completing clinical placements across the region. She balanced study, shift work and parenting, supported by a healthcare scholarship and flexible rostering from her employer.
“My employer gave me a flexible roster so I could study during the day and work at night,” Lily said. “There were no days off, but I kept believing. If you dream something, dream big. I wanted to do this for my family, and for the community that gave me a chance.”