• Graduates from Wagga Wagga’s class of 2020 attend on-campus graduation ceremonies at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga this week
• Close to 600 graduates and 1,800 guests attended the ceremonies, which were postponed last year due to COVID-19  
• Graduation ceremonies included the same features as previous years – alumni speakers, professional photography, medal presentations and a hospitality area for socialising

Attending their on-campus graduation ceremony can now be crossed off the bucket list for Wagga Wagga graduates from Charles Sturt University’s class of 2020.

They were among close to 600 graduates and 1,800 guests attending one of eight ceremonies at Charles Sturt in Wagga Wagga this week.

Bachelor of Laws students Ms Mikayla Argus-Anderson and Ms Nicole Miller graduated in Wagga Wagga on Thursday 17 June.

Ms Argus-Anderson grew up on a farm in Wagga Wagga and chose to study law because she has a strong sense of social justice and community mindfulness.

She studied online and enjoyed residential schools as it allowed her to meet classmates face to face.

She was disappointed when graduation was cancelled in 2020 but hoped there would be a postponed ceremony to attend when it was safe.

“It is a very memorable, personal experience and a chance to reflect on my educational experience and accomplishments,” she said.

“Today is also a significant achievement for my family, who has supported me through my degree.

“I am the first person in both my families’ history to graduate with a Bachelor of Laws, which is a special achievement and has made my family very proud.”

Graduation day was all the more special for Ms Argus-Anderson as it fell on the same day as her nan’s birthday.

Ms Argus-Anderson has already secured employment, currently working for the government in child protection, and she has enrolled in a Master of Laws.

She wants to be a solicitor and has ambitions of owning her own legal practice.

Ms Miller lives in Shepparton, Victoria and studied online but attended graduation in Wagga Wagga.

Studying part-time online while raising two children was challenging but Ms Miller said she was motivated by the idea of attending her graduation.

“I was pretty disappointed but today was extremely exciting, it finally feels real now,” she said.

“It provides a sense of finality and is a celebration that comes with a great sense of achievement and being able to celebrate with my family, who supported me throughout, means a lot to me.”

Ms Miller is working at the same law firm as she was when she started studying, although she has progressed to a Graduate Lawyer position.

“After working in the legal industry for almost 15 years, I think my studies at Charles Sturt provided another layer of knowledge, attention to detail and lateral thinking, and that is so important in the legal industry,” she said.

Ms Miller has no plans for further study at this point and wants to gain experience in as many aspects of law as possible.

The final round of on-campus graduation ceremonies for the class of 2020 commenced at Charles Sturt in Wagga Wagga on Tuesday 15 June.

Close to 550 graduates and 1,650 guests attended the eight Wagga Wagga ceremonies.