Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor and President, Members of the University Council, Dr Joe Baker, Deans, CQU Staff, Honoured Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, and fellow Graduates.

I would firstly like to take the opportunity to thank our guest speaker, Dr. Joe Baker, for being kind enough to share his time with us today. The inspiration you have given us is very much appreciated and will be long valued.

I am sure that we can all remember our first days at university; so full of excitement, hope, and anticipation. At the same time however, scared out of our minds, unsure of what the future held, and wondering just what pray-tell, we were doing here.

In our time at CQU, we have all learned the value of knowledge and have grown in the understanding of our chosen fields of speciality; whether it be through the completion of a certificate, diploma, bachelor, honours, masters or doctoral degree.

Now that many of us stand at the edge of what may be the end of our time at CQU, and others remain for further study, we find ourselves once again looking to the future, at once experiencing the familiar feelings of fear and anxiety about what lies ahead.

I am certain though, that we will each meet our individual challenges with the same enthusiasm, optimism and tenacity which have guided us safely through university.

The road to graduation has been a long and at times, arduous journey, but it has also been filled with friends, learning, laughter, and accomplishment.

I am confident that there cannot be one among us here who could state that it has not been worth it. A very wise person once said to me: “Aim at nothing, and you’ll hit it every time.” In our lives as university students, we have aimed for the ceiling and have obtained a valuable prize. Nevertheless, in your lives henceforward, I would ask each and every one of you to reach a little higher. Having obtained the ceiling, I ask you not to reach for the sky, but rather, to reach for the stars. For if you do so, you never know where life might take you. May we all be blessed and guided in our paths, where ever they may lead.