Pictured L to R: Top row – Ian Walker (MBA 1979), Sue Edwards (MMgt 2005), Phillip Morath (MA 1981, PhD 1993), Bottom row – left and middle images Ross Beckhouse (MA 1991), Noel Wagg (BA 1977, Honorary Doctorate 2019)

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For students, their graduation ceremony is a well-deserved celebration of the years of hard work that go towards earning their degree. For alumni who choose to volunteer on this special day, it takes them back to their own time at the University.

In 2022, our dedicated alumni volunteers contributed a total of 1089 hours. So far, in 2023, they have already surpassed this milestone, generously devoting 1344 hours to support to this year’s ceremonies. Following a story sharing the stories of alumni graduation volunteers and calling for more support, 26 alumni responded and joined the ranks as graduation volunteers. Notably, five of these new volunteers have already supported the October ceremonies, contributing an additional 72 volunteer hours each.

As powerful as these numbers are, they don’t tell the whole story – these alumni volunteers’ time as students at Macquarie spans the 1970s to the 2000s. They embody the timeless spirit of giving back to their alma mater and play a vital role in creating a lasting connection between past and present students. Their contributions are cherished and impactful, and their presence shows the special connection within our #MQAlumni community. Their dedication to supporting and guiding our new graduates adds a unique and heartwarming dimension to the ceremonies.

Jerry Failautusi Leleimalefaga, Faculty of Arts 2023, with his parents, who flew from Samoa to celebrate his graduation

Reflecting on the remarkable contributions of our alumni volunteers, recent graduate Jerry Failautusi Leleimalefaga shared some the heartfelt words: ““It was the best feeling ever to have my mom over all the way from Samoa to witness such a memorable graduation. Thank you so much to the alumni members and everyone involved in organising the graduation. Memories of such a beautiful graduation ceremony will be cherished forever.”