Like mother, like daughter: Deakin graduation a family legacy

Dianne, a dedicated academic in Deakin’s Department of Finance for 33 years, will be graduating with her PhD — an achievement she pursued throughout the challenges of COVID-19 lockdowns.

Meanwhile, Cianan, a Dean’s Scholar, is set to graduate with a Master of Marketing (Project Management); having achieved the highest mark in the course and solidifying a remarkable family legacy at Deakin.

“It’s going to be lovely to be in the academic procession together,” Dianne said.

“I was on stage as an academic when Cianan graduated from her first degree in February 2020, just weeks before the COVID-19 lockdowns began. Now we get to share this moment as graduates.”

Dianne’s career has seen the transformation of Deakin from its early days as Victoria College to a leader in digital education.

She recalls a time before computers, when using transparency sheets for lecture notes was the norm, and the excitement of universities being among the first to adopt email.

“The first computers had less storage than a CD, but we thought it was great,” laughed Dianne.

Now, after a career as a nurse and midwife followed by decades of teaching economics and finance, she has completed her PhD on customer satisfaction in Australian financial institutions, exploring differences in service perception between community-owned and big four banks.

For Cianan, Deakin has been home for nine years, spanning her undergraduate studies in commerce and postgraduate studies in marketing.

With a scholarship to study commerce, she took full advantage of Deakin’s global opportunities, including research internships in Canada and India.

“I have a strong affinity for Deakin, with my mum having been a lecturer there for so long,” Cianan said.

“It was a great decision because it gave me so many opportunities. The international program is unmatched, and Deakin has really nailed the collaborative online learning.”

“The thing that’s really cemented my decision though is seeing my peers who graduated from Deakin - Deakin students come out ready for the workforce. They have the communication skills and the social skills that you need to succeed in the workplace.”

Cianan now works in business development and client experience with an accounting advisory firm and plans to undertake her Certified Practising Accountant qualification in the future, sparked by a passion for helping clients achieve their financial goals.

She said her mum has been hugely influential in her studies and work.

“The drive that I have with my studies and work has been very influenced by mum, looking up to her as an academic and someone with a lot of experience in that space.”

“That has shaped me and moulded my work ethic – I definitely owe that to her.”

“Watching her passion for learning and her dedication to her PhD has been inspiring. There was even some friendly competition about who would finish first!”

“I’m very happy to be following in mum’s footsteps.”