A US student who made the difficult choice to remain at her studies in Australia during the pandemic has collected the Vice Chancellor’s Dux Award at Bond University.
Tatiana Carter has been separated from her parents in Guam since December 2019 but secured the academic accolade with the highest grade point average of her cohort.
She came to Bond in 2017 to study a Bachelor of Journalism, then followed up with a Master of Communication (USEd).
Her masters project examined the spread of COVID-19 disinformation via Twitter.
“This has been an incredible journey,” Ms Carter said.
“Even with my bachelor’s degree I knew I wanted to come back and keep studying – I wasn’t quite finished yet.
“I just graduated a couple of days ago and to finish on this high is amazing.”
Ms Carter thanked the friends she made at Bond, saying, “They have been a rock for me.”
Vice Chancellor and President Tim Brailsford praised Ms Carter’s determination amid COVID-19 disruption.
“There is only one dux each semester and it is quite an extraordinary achievement,” Professor Brailsford said.
“Tatiana came to us from Guam so she has obviously had to do it pretty hard with friends and family overseas.”
Ms Carter collected a $1000 gift from Professor Brailsford for her achievement.
BUSA Faculty Award Winners were:
* Indi Fergusson, Bachelor of Biomedical Science, highest GPA in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine;
* Ayomide Afolabi, Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Law, highest GPA in the Bond Business School;
* Millie Jones, Bachelor of Laws, highest GPA in the Faculty of Law;
* Finley Harding, Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws, highest GPA in the Faculty of Society and Design.