Bonnie James, left, with federal MP for Monash Russell Broadbent, Bass Coast Mayor Brett Tessari and Bass Coast CUC chair Martin Keogh do the honours at the formal opening of the university hub in Wonthaggi on Friday. By Bonnie James
I AM a second generation local, and the first person ever in my whole family to study for a degree.
If you asked me throughout high school if I was going to study at uni, I would’ve answered a strong no, without hesitation, and told you I was going to be a lady tradie. And I was – a baker.
A few career and circumstance changes meant that in my mid-20s I took the leap and decided I was going to do it, I was going to uni.
I AM a second generation local, and the first person ever in my whole family to study for a degree.
If you asked me throughout high school if I was going to study at uni, I would’ve answered a strong no, without hesitation, and told you I was going to be a lady tradie. And I was – a baker.
A few career and circumstance changes meant that in my mid-20s I took the leap and decided I was going to do it, I was going to uni.
| I chose the closest one – an hour and a half away. I knew for sure I wasn’t in a position to nor interested in moving to the city. I commuted to campus, and worked in between. Of course, in usual Bonnie fashion, I changed courses after a year. Which leads us to here- and to me studying for a Bachelor of Business, dual majoring in marketing and management at Federation University. Finally a second year as well! After a year of already studying basically fully online due to the dreaded Rona (with some strong self-discipline to boot), I enrolled for my second year as online delivery – not doubting we would still be in a pandemic, and also hoping to reduce the financial strain of travelling back and forth so often. I felt focused and motivated, ready to take on a new year of study. Then I saw a post on Facebook one evening: Bass Coast Country University Centre to open soon oin Wonthaggi. It caught my interest, and I sussed it out pretty quickly. I was elated! Finally, a place to study locally. No more travel. It offered all the support I could need, somewhere I could go, distraction-free. All the internet and, more importantly, coffee that I could need. I feel certain with the availability of this resource, I will breeze through the rest of my degree, thanks to decreased stressors and increased support. | Bass Coast Campus Bass Coast’s new university hub in Wonthaggi will enable students from Bass Coast and South Gippsland to link with any one of 31 universities around the country offering about 180 degrees. University-enrolled students pay nothing to use the centre, which offers study spaces, academic support, video conferencing and other social and academic support. The concept originated in Cooma, in southern NSW, where it’s been operating successfully for about seven years. There are now more than a dozen CUC university hubs around the country. Since the Bass Coast CUC opened its doors in early March, 20 students have registered and more are arriving every week. Centre manager Andrea Evans-McCall says most of it is through word of mouth. For more information, visit www.cucbasscoast.edu.au or contact Andrea Evans-McCall at 0418 515 328 or andrea.evansmccall @cucbasscoast.edu.au |
Andrea [Bass Coast CUC manager Andrea Evans-McCall] has created such a welcoming and warm environment for us. Her door is always open, no question too silly, no request too difficult. Tiny touches dotted around the centre, whether it’s inspiration cards or herbal teas. Thank you , Andrea, for your support, it is thoroughly appreciated by all of us.
I remember when Bass Coast was quiet and quaint, when you could park anywhere in the main street of Wonthaggi at any time of the day, when the circus was where Big W is now, when walking from one side of the town to the other literally only took 10 minutes. We were a tiny dot on a very large map. But I am lucky to be here, witnessing its growth. The opening of this centre being another piece in the puzzle of its rapid and exciting expansion.
Bonnie James is in the second year of a Bachelor of Business degree at Federation University and is a foundation student at the Bass Coast Country University Centre. This is an edited version of her speech to mark the opening of the centre on Friday.
I remember when Bass Coast was quiet and quaint, when you could park anywhere in the main street of Wonthaggi at any time of the day, when the circus was where Big W is now, when walking from one side of the town to the other literally only took 10 minutes. We were a tiny dot on a very large map. But I am lucky to be here, witnessing its growth. The opening of this centre being another piece in the puzzle of its rapid and exciting expansion.
Bonnie James is in the second year of a Bachelor of Business degree at Federation University and is a foundation student at the Bass Coast Country University Centre. This is an edited version of her speech to mark the opening of the centre on Friday.
*****
| Russell Broadbent, federal MP for Monash “When I first heard about it, I thought they were dreaming. … there lies the dream! “It’s simply too expensive for some families to pay for their child to go and live in the city. That’s why our students have been so disadvantaged. “This is a major cultural change. For every potential student who’s thinking about studying for a degree, you have no excuse not to come … If you’re an older student, it’s a place to come and reinvent yourself.” Martin Keogh, chair of the Bass Coast CUC “There is nothing worse than seeing a student who has the capacity but not the means because you can’t actually say to that student ‘Just try harder!’ They’re trapped by their circumstances. “Bass Coast Shire Council saw this and responded. This extraordinary result is a university centre here in Wonthaggi. “We’ll celebrate the success of every single student but it’s actually the collective of what that brings to this community that’s going to make a difference.” | Brett Tessari, Bass Coast Mayor “I remember the day Paul Buckley (CEO) and Christian Stefani came back from visiting the CUC at Cooma in 2018. We’d been talking for a while but not seriously considering we had a chance of getting any kind of university down this way. “They walked into the room and they were so excited about what they’d seen at Cooma and they really thought it would work down our way. And every councillor got on board with the idea. Not only the councillors but the staff and the community. Everyone supported it.” Brett Tessari plans to study at the hub. Isabella Weston, Bass Coast CUC student “I studied online last year but when I heard about the Wonthaggi campus I jumped at it. I started here last week and I’m really enjoying it. It’s better than studying at home. There’s good wifi, it’s quiet, and when I’m studying here I can’t go and do the washing. I’m a great procrastinator! “I live in Leongatha, I work in Inverloch, I go to the gym in Wonthaggi and I do footy training in Dalyston, so this is really accessible for me.” |
Bass Coast CUC foundation students, from left, Hayden Pllot, Wonthaggi, (studying for a Bachelor of Business at Torrens University), Bonnie James, Wonthaggi, (Bachelor of Business at Federation University); Karin Rodger-Murray (Bachelor of Outdoor Education and Environment, Federation University); Isabella Weston, Leongatha, (Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion, Deakin University); Andrea Evans-McCall (Bass Coast CUC manager).