CQUniversity graduate Janelle Patroni is either a Time Lord or a master of time-juggling. She crammed plenty of experiences into her final years of study and she's still forging ahead on several fronts.

Now working as a Year 5 teacher at Gladstone's Clinton State School, Janelle is also writing her own music and performing with her band, 'Something from Jane'.

Janelle Patroni ... graduating thanks to a degree of time-juggling

Janelle is among double-award winners to be recognised during

Gladstone's graduation ceremony on Thursday (May 20).

LINK HERE for details on the graduation and awards.

"I've recently become part of a creative team of local people who are working on recording and filming the music videos for some of my music. This project provides a creative outlet for us and allows us to reveal our amazing talents," Janelle says.

"The first clip is soon to be uploaded to my YouTube channel. Check it out!"  LINK HERE for Something for Jane's Channel on YouTube

Janelle says teaching is "a great job full of challenges and is extremely rewarding. I am thoroughly enjoying it".

It's lucky she's settling in well because last year was full of adventure and potentially exhausting.

"I was extremely fortunate enough to celebrate the arrival of 2009 while on a teaching scholarship in South Korea," Janelle says.

"I was selected along with 12 other CQUniversity students from across Queensland to teach English at a rural college in Ulsan. I gained great appreciation for students studying English as a second language and left with a profound respect for a culture where education is paramount. Travelling overseas with the University and teaching in Korea was an experience of a lifetime, and one that I will never forget.

"In May of last year, I had the pleasure of working alongside six of my colleagues as we endeavoured to lift the profile of Early Childhood Education and Care within our local community. In conjunction with Under 8s Week and the Year of Creativity, we organised our own community event, ‘Taste An Arts Sensation'. This was a day at the Gladstone marina where children and their families could experience the five strands of the arts - Dance, Drama, Media, Music and Visual Arts. Creative ambassador and Australian television actor Paul Bishop made an appearance on the day to promote the importance of the arts in early childhood development."

LINK HERE for images from the 2009 Taste an Arts Sensation event that Janelle helped to organise

Janelle says the benefits of studying locally at the Gladstone Campus have been "countless" and she doubts she would have had the same experience anywhere else.

"I was born and raised in Gladstone and completed my primary and secondary schooling here. During my studies, when I was on pracs in the local schools, it was comforting to see so many familiar, friendly faces.

"Fast-tracking my degree meant that there were moments of pure madness as I attempted to find the study/work/life balance. Being close to my family and friends provided me with the support network that I needed to help me succeed.

"Mostly, I have enjoyed the intimate atmosphere that surrounds the Gladstone Campus. It is a friendly campus with a relaxed feel, right on the water. It doesn't take long to meet some truly amazing people. I am positive that the friendships I have made during my time at university will remain strong for many years to come.

"It's the people that have made my experience unforgettable. There are some remarkable opportunities available to you as a student at CQUniversity."