Captain Anita Nemarich presently lives in Queanbeyan, NSW, with her husband David and rescue cat Sheldon, her study assistant.

She grew up on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, has two older sisters and her parents have retired and live in Tasmania.

Anita graduated in Wagga Wagga on Friday 11 April with a Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science (Pathology) in the Charles Sturt School of Dentistry and Medical Sciences in the Faculty of Science and Health and was also awarded an Undergraduate University Medal and delivered the Student Vote of Thanks.

An Undergraduate University Medal is awarded by the University to students who have completed the required coursework requirements and achieve a grade point average of 6.75 or higher.

“I have always had an interest in genetics and molecular science, so this degree matched my interests,” Anita said. “I completed the degree as a hobby and not for a career change, and personally, I found the subject matter fascinating and loved expanding my knowledge.

“It feels wonderful to graduate, but it won’t be long before I’m looking at what I want to study next.”

This was Anita’s second degree, having already achieved a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Oceanography in 2001.

“I have been in the Navy since 1999, joining through the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra,” Anita said.

“My older sister previously had completed a double degree in Paramedicine and Nursing through Charles Sturt University, so I naturally considered the University as a viable option as I knew it offered an excellent distance education program.

“I commenced my degree in 2016 part-time and online and as a full-time member of the RAN I had to ensure I could juggle study with my employment.

“The Charles Sturt University academics were exceptional throughout the degree and were flexible when I had time at sea and couldn’t attend tutorials, or even access lecture notes. Many of my lecturers would email me the lecture notes so I didn’t fall behind.”

In 2018, Anita received a scholarship from the Wagga Wagga RSL Sub-Branch which helped her achieve her educational goals.

“The scholarship covered an entire year of course and subject fees,” Anita said. “I paid for this degree myself and this scholarship made a huge difference to paying for my subjects.”

Wagga Wagga RSL Sub-Branch scholarship spokesperson Mr Rod Cooper said the Sub-Branch is immensely proud to have sponsored Anita Nemarich.

“Anita is a dedicated Navy veteran who successfully completed her medical science degree while serving her country. Her remarkable achievement reflects the values of resilience, commitment and service that our scholarship aims to support and celebrate.”

In 2020 and 2021, Anita had to pause her degree when she took command of HMAS Parramatta, an Anzac Class Helicopter Frigate and the demands of command were incompatible with study.

“I returned to study in 2022 and realised how much I’d missed it the previous two years,” Anita said.

“I only had a handful of subjects left and my completion was driven by when those subjects were available and I finished my last subject in 2024.”

Anita had to complete 12 weeks of clinical placement as part of the degree and she broke this up into three parts, taking long service leave to achieve it.

“I worked in microbiology, genetics, haematology and chemistry,” Anita said. “Microbiology was my favourite and I loved the team at The Canberra Hospital.

“This degree is accredited by Australian Institute of Medical Scientists (AIMS) and the University works hard to maintain this accreditation; it means people completing the degree will be competitive for employment in the workforce.”

Anita, who aims to continue to serve the nation in the Royal Australian Navy, said it doesn’t matter if you don’t quite know what you want to study, just start studying and you’ll quickly work it out.

“Changing degrees is easy once you’ve started one, so talk to other students and lecturers to see what else is out there,” Anita said.

“Make the most of the experience in terms of making friends, learning as much as you can, and enjoy the journey.”