Ceremony for diligent graduates

PROCESSION: Piper Alastair Gibb, of Gladstone, led the procession of UCOL Wairarapa graduates in 2012 from the Masterton Town Hall and through town to the UCOL Wairarapa Student HUB for refreshments. PHOTO/FILE

More than 150 students have earned degrees, diplomas and certificates and will be honoured at the UCOL Wairarapa graduation ceremony at the Masterton Town Hall next Tuesday.

Campus manager Angela Hewitt said 155 students from the Masterton campus had qualified for the ceremony, at which graduates will be awarded qualifications in health science, nursing, early childhood education and care, business administration and computing, carpentry, hairdressing, beauty services, sport and exercise, automotive, joinery, contemporary music, cookery and baking.

There were 26 graduates from the health science certificate course, 24 graduates from the business and administration programme, 18 graduates from the Bachelor of Nursing course, and 16 from the early childhood education and care programme.

The Lands Trust Masterton will be presented during the ceremony, Ms Hewitt said, with a special award to recognise the trust's valued role in the community and its on-going support of UCOL.

Ms Hewitt said graduation was "an important time for staff to share with graduates, their families and friends in celebrating the rewards of so much hard work and dedication by students".

"It is also appropriate to acknowledge and thank the community groups, businesses and organisations who support UCOL Wairarapa, its staff and students," she said.

"Our campus is fortunate with the amount of support it has in this community and this year we are thrilled that Lands Trust Masterton is being recognised for the important role it plays in contributing to the provision of education across all sectors."

The first woman Mayor of Masterton, Lyn Patterson, will be guest speaker at the graduation ceremony and South Wairarapa Mayor Adrienne Staples also will attend alongside Carterton District Council deputy mayor John Booth.

The ceremony starts at 1.30pm and Graduates and UCOL staff members will at 3pm begin a procession through the streets of Masterton, heading back to the UCOL Wairarapa campus for light refreshments.