End of an era: Residential Colleges graduands celebrate at Valedictory Ceremony

The 2025 University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) Valedictory Ceremony (7 November) marked the end of an era for 107 graduating students who called the Residential Colleges in Toowoomba home.

The annual event was a night to remember, filled with emotion as the UniSQ community came together to celebrate academic achievements and the friendships and shared experiences that made university life so special.

From the laughter in the common rooms and late-night study sessions to the unique college traditions, the ceremony reflected the journey of growth and discovery these students have shared.

For Brahmani Jain (Concannon College), Georgia Betts (McGregor College) and Ujwal Jha (Steele Rudd College), being recognised as Valedictorians for their academic excellence and contribution to college life was a fitting finale.

Each delivered a heartfelt speech honouring the connections they’ve made and the lessons that will stay with them for a lifetime. Check out what they had to say!

Concannon College Valedictorian

Brahmani Jain

My name is Brahmani, and I’ve been a proud resident of Concannon College for the past three and a half years. Originally from Pune, a bustling city in the state of Maharashtra in India, I made the move to Toowoomba in July 2022. And what a journey it has been since that day!

I’ll be graduating this year in December with a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) degree, majoring in Computer Systems with a minor in Management. It honestly has been nothing less than a rollercoaster and yet feels both surreal and exciting at the same time. It’s been filled with more circuits and codes than I’d like to admit and full of moments when debugging felt more like detective work than engineering. But every challenge taught me something new about the subject as well as about resilience and patience.

When I first arrived, I didn’t quite know what to expect. Moving to a new country, new city, and a new college all at once was both exciting and terrifying. I still remember stepping into Concannon for the first time, nervous and a bit jet-lagged. But within days, that uncertainty turned into belonging. Concannon turned into a place that instantly turned all those nerves into comfort. I still remember walking into my new home, seeing the faces of people I had never met before and somehow knowing I was in the right place. What I didn’t realise then was that these people would become some of my closest friends, my family away from home, and the ones who would share in every high, every low, and every “we’ll finish this assignment eventually” moment.

One of my proudest moments in this journey has been receiving recognition for my efforts beyond the classroom. Earlier this year, I received the research excellence award for my Honours project through Residential Colleges, and later this month, I’ll be recognised at UniSQ’s Student Awards. I’m incredibly honoured, and honestly, still a little in disbelief. These moments have reminded me that all the late nights, the missed calls home, and the times I doubted myself were all worth it.

The real reward has been the people and the friendships formed here with people all around the world. Concannon for me has been a community that celebrates every small victory, stands together during tough times, and somehow finds a reason to have fun in between. Whether it was laughing until our stomachs hurt in the common room or binge-watching our favourite movies, every moment has built the kind of memories that’ll stay with me forever. It’s amazing how a place filled with people from such different backgrounds can feel so much like home. We’ve shared laughter, stress, celebrations, sorrows and an unspoken agreement that “we’ll start that assignment tomorrow”.

I couldn’t have made it here to graduate without the continuous support of people around me. To my friends, thank you for making college life not just bearable, but memorable. You’ve been my cheerleaders and my partners in both hard work and harmless chaos. You’ve celebrated my highs and stood by me in my lows, and I couldn’t have asked for better company through it all.

To the Residential Colleges admin team and the RSC, a heartfelt thank you. You’ve been the invisible hands and caring hearts behind everything that makes this community thrive. Your support has made Concannon more than just a building – it’s been a safe space to grow, make mistakes and find belonging. You’ve built a culture that welcomes and celebrates every individual.

And of course, my deepest gratitude goes to my Mum and Dad and my extended family back home in India. You are my foundation and my constant source of strength. Even from thousands of kilometres away, you’ve been with me every step of the way, encouraging me when I was unsure, reminding me of who I am, and celebrating every milestone with me. This achievement is yours as much as it is mine.

As I prepare to graduate, I’m currently completing my internship at B&R Enclosures in Brisbane, and I’m excited to see where that opportunity takes me. The future feels wide open, a mix of anticipation, curiosity, and a touch of fear – but I’ve learned that the best things in life often start with a leap of faith.

To my fellow graduands – congratulations. We’ve survived the chaos of group projects, the panic of last-minute submissions and the existential dread of “what’s next?”. We’ve grown into people who can solve problems, face uncertainty and still find reasons to laugh along the way. We’ve grown from nervous first years into confident graduates ready to take on the world.

As we draw near to closing this chapter, I hope we carry forward the spirit of community that Residential Colleges has given us. The friendships, the lessons, and the memories will outlast the stress of exams, the assignments and the sleepless nights.

So tonight, take a moment to look around. These are the people and memories that shaped us. We came here as individuals, but we leave as part of something bigger – a family called Concannon.

Congratulations once again to everyone graduating this year and early next year. Here’s to new beginnings, bold dreams, and everything that comes next.

McGregor College Valedictorian

Georgia Betts

My name is Georgia, and I have recently completed my Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Medicine Pathway) whilst residing at McGregor College.

I’m from Brisbane but grew up on a property outside of Parkes in NSW. During high school, I always knew I wanted to go into the health field, but I never quite knew what that would mean. This was reflected in my QTAC preferences – Nursing, Physiotherapy, Midwifery, Paramedicine. The one thing I did know was I didn’t want to stay in Brisbane. I’d loved growing up rurally and wanted to end up somewhere similar.

I owe a lot to my Year 12 careers counsellor, who introduced me to UniSQ’s inaugural Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Medicine Pathway). It offered provisional entry into the UQ Doctor of Medicine Program right here at the Toowoomba Rural Clinical School – the perfect blend of my goals. Medicine in a rural setting.

When I got my offer, I was over the moon. I was excited, nervous and a bit scared to move away from home knowing no one. Finding somewhere to live was a bit of a mission, but I eventually got a call from Residential Colleges offering me a spot in A Block of Concannon College in Week 3 of Semester 1. Moving in mid-semester felt a bit daunting – I had missed Orientation Week and thought I had missed my chance to meet friends. Luckily, I was taken under the wing of Sarah Findlay, who many of you would know. She dragged me to dinners, introduced me to everyone, and did her best to convince me to go to events like Residential Shield – which, at the time felt too overwhelming for my introverted self, but looking back, it was exactly what I needed.

My first event where I really got taken by the Residential Colleges bug was the Inauguration Dinner back in 2023. Seeing everyone come together to celebrate the academic achievements of the year before made me realise what college life was all about.

First year was my year of firsts and fun – everything was new, exciting and full of opportunity. I stepped outside of my comfort zone to say yes to things to broaden my horizons.

Second year was the year of struggle by finding my strength. I came back from the break so excited for 2024, to see my friends, experience my first Orientation Week and continue saying yes to opportunities like being a Res PALS mentor to guide our freshers during their first few weeks at UniSQ. Another one of those opportunities included joining the UniSQ Rugby Club with many other college friends. This was much to my Dad’s delight – Mum on the other hand, not so keen on the idea. I loved going to training, meeting new people and going back to my school years playing team sport again. The first game of my first 7s tournament was great, scoring my first try in my first game ever. I texted Dad who replied, “And that’s why we play rugby!”. Unfortunately, that comment didn’t age so well – a snapped femur an hour later and I was on crutches for three months with the task of learning to walk all over again.

Word travels fast through the colleges and I have to say a huge thank you to the Residential Colleges admin team for their incredible support. I had not even woken up from surgery before they called asking how they could help me through recovery. The road to recovery and independence was long – crutches, rehab and a lot of mental strength – but I did it and took my first steps. And I have to say, I’ve gained a new level of respect for toddlers learning to walk – it’s hard! My friends here at Residential Colleges helped me through every up and down and gave me the strength to return to ‘normal’ college life again.

After that rollercoaster of a year, third year became the year I truly found my family. Moving to McGregor – the better side of Baker St, was the best decision I made at the end of second year. From Friday afternoon camp chair catch ups outside H block, to Sunday night dinners in I Block, to Red Frog Thursdays in the Recreation Hall and Residential Shield events, this year felt like home.

My time at Residential Colleges wouldn’t have been the same without the people who make it all happen. A would like to deeply thank KB, Joe Rob, Peter, Amy, Maxine, Nancy and everyone behind the scenes who keep our colleges running. To this year’s RSC team – thank you for the fun events and endless enthusiasm. To my family, thank you for your support through all the highs and lows. And finally, to my college family – thank you for making this journey unforgettable. You’re the people I’ll keep close to for many years to come.

Finally, to my graduands all here today, we have all made it to the end of our journey at Residential Colleges and UniSQ – congratulations! We have all worked incredibly hard academically to finish our studies and are all moving on to the next things in life, these next steps are exciting but are new and foreign to us so can be quite daunting. So, if I can leave you with one piece of advice it would be this: Say yes – even when it scares you, show up when it is the last thing you want to do. Remember the fulfilment and joy it brings you when you look back and realise the courage it took for you to show up and say yes at the beginning of your college journey to now when we are saying farewell.

Steele Rudd Valedictorian

Ujwal Jha

For those who don’t know me, my name is Ujwal Jha, and I come from the beautiful Mithila region tucked away in the southern plains of Nepal. I arrived at UniSQ with a heart full of dreams, a suitcase full of snacks, and a head full of questions about what life in Australia would look like. Well… let’s just say, between trying to understand Aussie slang, navigating Toowoomba’s unpredictable weather mood swings, and keeping up with assignments, it’s been a wild, wonderful ride!

Coming from a country rich in hydropower resources, I’ve always been passionate about sustainability and the future of energy. That dream led me to study Electrical and Electronics Engineering. Little did I know that engineering would test not only my technical skills but also my patience, sleep schedule, and sense of humour! I still remember staring at circuit boards that refused to cooperate with me, running simulations that crashed five minutes before completion, and whispering to my laptop, “Please, just one more compile!”. Through it all, I discovered a secret: resilience is the best circuit breaker, and laughter is the most reliable power source. And when the voltage of life spikes, you need a strong sense of humour to stay grounded. For those in the audience who didn’t quite catch that electrical joke – come and see me after the event tonight. I’ll happily walk you through the circuit theory!

Beyond the textbooks and oscilloscopes, the heart of my UniSQ experience has always been the Residential Colleges. When I first arrived, I thought college would just be a place to stay. But it became so much more – it became home. A place where I found lifelong friends, where late-night study sessions turned into deep conversations, and where every BBQ, pool night, and college event reminded me that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. This year marks my fourth and final year living at college, and as I stand here tonight, I feel a mix of pride and nostalgia. From nervously introducing myself at my first dinner to standing here as Valedictorian, every step has been a lesson in growth.

UniSQ has been a melting pot of cultures, and I’ve learned just as much from hallway conversations and waiting for coffee in the Refectory as I have from lectures. It’s in these moments that I saw how diversity isn’t just about where we come from – it’s about how we grow together.

To all my fellow graduates – we did it! To the engineers: may your problem-solving skills continue to turn chaos into solutions. To the scientists: may your experiments work on the first try – at least just once. To the educators: you’ve mastered patience – now go inspire the next generation. To the health and nursing students: you’ve mastered the art of caring, diagnosing, and surviving placements with minimal sleep. May your charts be accurate, your shifts be short, and your patients forever grateful – even the ones who Google their symptoms first! Business grads: may your spreadsheets always balance, and your meetings always include snacks. IT folks: thank you for fixing everything – even when the problem was just a loose cable. Arts and humanities: you made us think, feel, and reflect – and you did it with style. Agriculture and environmental students: you reminded us that nature matters – and that gumboots are, in fact, a fashion statement.

Now, I want to take a moment to thank the incredible faculty members who challenged us, guided us, and sometimes even tolerated our last-minute submissions with three-day extensions. A special shoutout to my research supervisor, Tony Ahfock, for patiently enduring my attempts to explain the behaviour of coils in a transformer – even when my understanding was more tangled than the coils themselves! To the Residential College team – Peter, Joe, KB, Amy, Maxine, Emma, Sandra, and Nancy – thank you for creating a space that felt like a home away from home. Thank you to the RLs and the SRLs – Taylah and Gemma, for letting me finish my on-call shifts early this year so I could focus on planning my future. I’m also grateful to the Millmerran Power Project for giving me hands-on experience, and to the Toowoomba Regional Council for employing me as a graduate electrical engineer. Thank you to my family for their unwavering support – unfortunately they could not be here tonight but are watching from 8,000 kilometres away – all thanks to technology for making this possible. And to my friends, both near and far, thank you for being my support system. Finally, thank you to UniSQ for allowing me the opportunity to work across four different departments while studying – helping me support myself financially and grow professionally.

At the end, to all my fellow graduates, whatever we studied, we survived the chaos, the deadlines, and the group projects. So, as we graduate and step into a bigger world, let’s remember: we’re not just graduates – we’re caffeinated, sleep-deprived, degree-wielding legends ready to take on the world.

Congratulations, Class of 2025 – let’s go short-circuit some expectations and light up the future!