One of the graduates at the recent (May 1) CQU Bundaberg ceremony had extra reasons to treasure the event; and not just because of her fantastic GPA of 6.92 out of 7.

Narelle Essam gained a Faculty medal based on academic results in the Bachelor of Accounting degree (with Distinction), and also the overall Graduation medal based on academic results as well as community contributions.

Narelle Essam has treasured memories of graduation

 "I received a call from the Dean who informed me that I had received the medal. I was shocked," Narelle said.

Narelle is a former Skills for Tertiary Education Preparatory Studies (STEPS) graduate and accredits a lot of her success to the course.

"It was hard, but I couldn't have done it without STEPS, I learnt a lot of skills like referencing, computer skills and essay writing skills. STEPS was wonderful," said Narelle.

During her studies, Narelle served the CQU community as a student mentor and, since graduating, she has returned to CQU to assist others by tutoring on a part-time basis.

She is currently working for Statewide Body Corporate in a financials/accounting role.