Jessica and Curtis Boland grew up in Wagga Wagga and Wodonga respectively and met online.

Both started studying full-time on campus but transitioned to part-time online study to complete their degrees.

Jess (aged 27) will graduate with a Bachelor of Nursing in the Charles Sturt School of Nursing, Paramedicine and Healthcare Sciences at 10am. Curtis (aged 28) will graduate with a Bachelor of Agriculture in the School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences at 3.30pm.

It took Jess six years ─ including two pregnancies ─ to complete her studies, and it took Curtis four years. They say it felt like a lifetime (of studying) at the time.

“Studying online was the key to us both being able to finish our degrees as it meant we could still work, have family time and catch up on university study/assessments when the kids were in bed,” they said.

“Without the flexibility of online study, we would have needed to put our degrees on hold or limit it to just one of us studying at a time. But in this economy, it is still so important to be able to work while studying, so online is incredible for supporting that.”

Jess and Curtis emphasise that the biggest takeaway from their experience is that anything is possible with a little hard work.

“Having us both studying a degree while working and raising two young boys has not been easy, but we did it,” Jess said.

“The flexibility of online study made all of this possible and now that we are both finished it has been so worth it.”

Curtis said initially they felt guilty about not studying full-time, but they reminded themselves that whether it’s three years or six years, everyone comes out with the same degree in the end.

“We do not view being a parent or working as a barrier to studying and we look forward to the possibility of studying again in the future,” Curtis said.

Jess said she always thought she would end up in the veterinary field, but career prospects and seeing her mum work as a nurse and bring enrichment to people’s lives and make a difference gave her that extra push she needed.

“I knew a career in nursing was a stable future with lots of different avenues to explore,” she said.

“My mum attended Charles Sturt University for her nursing degree, plus I had a curiosity about our physiology and the science behind it all made me want to pursue nursing.

“I was working at a post office and studying a Certificate in Veterinary Nursing at TAFE, and then I started my Bachelor of Nursing with Charles Sturt University in 2018 and finished in August 2024.”

She said that although her circumstances throughout studying her degree changed, she was always still able to continue and utilise the flexibility that the University offered.

Curtis is a qualified auto electrician who started his Bachelor of Agriculture in 2020 and is the first in his immediate family to attend university.

“My grandfather has always been a great advocate for knowledge and agriculture in general and I have always had a general interest in the topic,” Curtis said.

“I wanted a change from my auto electrician job as I didn’t have that passion or enjoyment for it anymore and I wanted a career that I could grow with and see and do different things along the way.

“I enjoy helping out on my Pop’s farm and Jess’s grandparents’ farm whenever I’m able to and the enjoyment I got from that helped me realise a passion for agriculture and how important it is in Australia.”

Jess and Curtis agree that studying online was great.

“The recorded lectures and material all being online meant we could just do our studies at a convenient time rather than having to try and commit to a set time each week or day, or turn down shifts at work etc,” Curtis said.

“The intensive schools were also a great help too with being able to meet other students and practice those hands-on skills on campus.”

“It seems crazy looking back on it now, but we actually had a set routine for our evenings and what times we would study until,” Jess said.

“It was important for us to be present in the evenings with our boys, Remy and Memphis, but once they were in bed we divided up household chores and had a set study schedule for us both around our work rosters,” Curtis said.

“It really worked for us and I believe was a key component in it not feeling as chaotic as it could have.”

Curtis was surprised how large the agricultural sector at Charles Sturt in Wagga Wagga is and how many different majors could be undertaken in the degree.

“The lecturers were also a major bonus with their extensive knowledge and experience which they shared with the students,” he said.

Jess said the nursing side of Charles Sturt was equally impressive with the incredible simulation labs she and fellow students had access to during intensive schools to practice clinical skills and run case studies on.

“This made it feel a bit more ‘real’ with the set ups,” Jess said. “Again, the lecturers were another massive bonus, being able to share their first-hand experiences helped link our theory to practice and it was great having access to that knowledge.

“I attended my final intensive school in Wagga Wagga while 36 weeks pregnant with our second child, which seems absolutely insane looking back on it, but it was a great experience and so great to have that flexibility of still finishing aspects of my degree while I was pregnant.”

Jess is currently two months into a graduate nursing position at the local hospital where she rotates between three different wards to gain more skills and experience while having extra support from educators, and she would love to undertake a postgraduate degree in midwifery in the future.

Curtis is a second-in-charge manager at a local agricultural business and plans to work and expand his knowledge and skills with the great team there. He is keen to progress with his interest in agronomy and technical sales.

Jess and Curtis agree it has worked out well for them.

“We were each other’s support systems, and like we said, anything is possible with a little hard work.”