After moving for study, Deakin graduates now call Geelong region home

Todaow, with a Master of Psychology (Clinical), a partner and a new baby, she has no plans to leave.

'There are great career opportunities in the Geelong region and it's a lovely place to raise a family so I'm planning to make Geelong and the Surf Coast my permanent home,' Rosie said.

Today Rosie was among more than 270 graduates from Deakin's Faculty of Health to officially receive their degrees, including doctors, nurses, midwives, psychologists, social workers, sports scientists, nutritionists and optometrists.

Over two days, more than 1200 graduates from Deakin's four faculties – Health; Science, Engineering and Built Environment; Arts and Education; and Business and Law – will have their degrees conferred by Deakin's Deputy Chancellor Dr Lyn Roberts AO and Vice-Chancellor Professor Iain Martin.

Professor Martin said graduation ceremonies were a wonderful celebration of student achievement within the Deakin community.

'Our graduates are the best evidence of the quality of the Deakin experience,' Professor Martin said.

'We believe education transforms lives and in turn, our graduates go on to make a lasting impact in the communities where they live and work.'

For Rosie, graduating from Deakin opens the door to a new career in clinical psychology after earlier completing degrees in Arts and Marketing when she left school.

'I started studying psychology to support my work in marketing but decided that clinical psychology offers a rewarding career that gives me a sense of purpose,' Rosie said.

'While studying at Deakin, I also had the opportunity to complete two placements at Barwon Health which I really enjoyed.

'There is a good variety of work available for clinical psychologists in the corporate sector, healthcare settings or private practice so I’m really looking forward to taking that next step professionally.

Study opportunities at Deakin also brought Claire Emson to Geelong from New Zealand five years ago.

Today Claire graduated with a Master of Philosophy from the School of Medicine and she plans to continue her studies to PhD level with the same supervisor, Professor John Stambas.

'Geelong has a massive research culture, strengthened by the University's partnership with Barwon Health,' Claire said.

'My main area of research is viral immunology, where I specifically focus on understanding how our body's proteins can be harnessed to improve outcomes for influenza patients.

'By identifying proteins that support and promote clearance of infection we can develop new treatments that target these proteins. Our aim is to add this new intervention to current available therapies that are focused solely on the virus.'

While completing her masters, Claire has also found a partner and together they have built their first home.

'Geelong has the best of both worlds, really. It's a lovely city surrounded by beaches. I come from Christchurch and Geelong is a bit similar but a lot warmer!'