Gympie’s Sophie Goulis will graduate from USC tomorrow with perfect grades, a nursing job and the University’s highest honour for a graduating student – the Chancellor’s Medal.

The USC Gympie student will receive the prestigious award, along with a University Medal for achieving the highest possible grade point average of 7 out of 7, when she graduates with a Bachelor of Nursing Science on Wednesday 5 April.

The 1pm ceremony at Matthew Flinders College Performance Centre will be one of nine ceremonies from Wednesday to Friday for almost 1,400 USC students who will graduate before an expected crowd of 5,000.

Fourteen students from USC’s Gympie campus will graduate at the ceremonies, including its first Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) student cohorts.

Miss Goulis, 21, who is working as a Graduate Nurse at the Gympie Hospital, said she was delighted to be the first USC Gympie student to become a Chancellor’s Medallist.

A passion for helping others, as well as her exceptional grades, contributed to the Widgee resident’s successful nomination for the award.

While completing the three-year nursing degree, Miss Goulis was actively involved with supporting young Gympie people, including youth with disabilities, through her church youth group.

She also assisted fellow USC students with research, essay writing and proof reading, and participated in a research project that was used to enhance curriculum and learning experiences for nursing students.

“I don’t know where the future might take me, but right now I am loving that I have a job where I am caring for people and I am able to put into practice what I learnt in the past three years,” she said.

Miss Goulis received an early taste of university life when USC Gympie first opened in 2013 by completing two USC subjects as a Headstart student in Year 11 and 12 while being home schooled via Groves Christian College.

“I am really grateful that USC opened its campus in Gympie. It was perfect timing as everything just worked out well and I had a great experience. I couldn’t have asked for a better one,” she said.

“Headstart provided a great foundation to university, and the smaller class sizes at USC Gympie allowed you to know your peers and support each other better. You also had more contact with your tutors and lecturers, who were very approachable.”

— Clare McKay