The 'Going Home' celebration held recently at Rockhampton Campus enabled 19 international students from countries including India, Norway, USA, Japan, Korea and Germany to receive certificates from Executive Dean Professor Kevin Tickle.

The celebration is always a special event and this year's 'thank you' speech was no exception.

Delwyn Amoe enjoys the 'Going Home' ceremony

Bachelor of Business Management student Delwyn Amoe is from the Solomon Islands and spoke of her fear of arriving in Australia, not knowing anybody and hoping that Rockhampton was going to be a small town like her village back in the Solomons - it wasn't!

Rocky to her was a big city and she was alone. Luckily Delwyn met nice people, found somewhere to live and began her studies.

Not long after moving into shared accommodation, a fire broke out in the neighbour's garage and Delwyn was asked to call for help. Confusion followed as it became clear that the fire service she had called would take a few days travelling to get to a fire in Rockhampton. Delwyn had called home to the Solomon Islands. This was an easy mistake for a new visitor and happily it was quickly fixed and the fire was extinguished.

Moving ahead three and a half years and Delwyn is now a happy, independent woman. She's no longer hiding in the back of the classroom, too afraid to speak. She's been participating in classroom discussions and ready to face the world.

As she said in her closing remarks: "CQUni has become family, a family I'm proud to be a part of."

Students celebrate at their 'Going Home'