Success in the city – Wintec graduands get ready to celebrate

More than 1,800 students will take to the stage to receive their qualification in front of friends and family during Waikato Institute of Technology’s (Wintec) annual graduation week.

Wintec’s Chief Executive Mark Flowers says graduation is a milestone for students and their supporters, and a key event for Wintec and Hamilton city.

“This prestigious event reflects the achievement, honour and pride associated with earning a tertiary education qualification,” he says. “This is an exciting week for us, our students and the city and we are looking forward to celebrating their achievements.”

Wintec’s graduation will include seven ceremonies held across four days. The first is on Friday 10 March at Wintec’s city campus marae, Te Kōpū Mānia o Kirikiriroa, where 138 students will graduate. A further six ceremonies will be held at Claudelands the following week on Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 March.

An annual highlight are the graduation parades featuring graduands in their colourful regalia which leave Garden Place for Claudelands at 12.40pm on Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 March.

The 1800 students attending the ceremonies are out of 2,278 Wintec students eligible to graduate.

Two of Wintec’s recently announced honoraries will be conferred at events on Thursday 16 March. Susie Ryan, educator and former Clinical Nurse Manager of the Waikato Regional Diabetes Service will receive a Master of Nursing and Dr Peter Robinson, prominent scientist and former Wintec tutor will receive an Honorary Fellowship. Other 2017 recipients, Liam Messam and Te Radar will receive honorary degrees later in the year.

Keynote speakers for Wintec’s graduation events this year include musician and writer Lizzie Marvelly, microbiologist and Head of the Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland, Dr Siouxsie Wiles, and award winning company director Traci Houpapa, recently named by the BBC as one of the world’s top 100 most influential women.

Each school and centre will also hold a Special Awards event during graduation week to recognise the top students of 2016.

For details, visit the Graduation section at wintec.ac.nz.