The sun shone in Balclutha on November 28, making it a perfect day for Telford’s class of 2024 to graduate, with their street procession and graduation ceremony taking place amongst hundreds of well-wishers and supporters.
The street procession, led by SIT management, Telford staff, and Clutha District Mayor, Bryan Cadogan, began at the Balclutha Presbyterian Church and made its way to the Clutha District War Memorial & Community Centre, Te Pou Ō Mata-Au, via Balclutha’s Clyde Street - also State Highway 1.
All the traditional elements of the graduation which added to the sense of occasion and the event’s personality, were on display for the town: the pipers of the Balclutha Pipe Band piped the parade on its route, shiny new farm machinery rolled by, and some of the students’ valued working dogs took part in the walk.
Telford Marketing and Admin Officer, Billie-Marie Henry said the nice weather helped to draw out the good crowds and a great community response. “The Main Street was very busy, and full of people clapping us down the road.” Also apparent on the day was the business community’s involvement, with Ms Henry acknowledging “The New Holland guys at Agricentre supplied a clean tractor”, and Clutha Honda provided quad bikes for the procession. She added a special thanks to Grant Thornton, the Telford Farms board and SIT, who funded the street closure for the procession.
Ms Henry added there was some effort involved in convincing students “to get out of their red bands and into high heels” for the day. And they didn’t disappoint, “they definitely pulled it off”; there were glamorous young people in abundance, dressed in their best suits and frocks, to complement their academic regalia.
Around 330 people - parents, family members and well wishers - filled the community centre auditorium to take part in the graduation ceremony, acknowledging the graduates’ achievements and celebrating with them. Former Telford Campus Manager, Daniel Maze, who is well-known in the Telford community, was event MC.
From more than 100 graduating students, 63 were there in-person to cross the stage and receive their diplomas and certificates. Qualifications represented were Massey Diploma in Agriculture (Level 5), Certificate in Farming Systems and Equipment (Level 3) (Sheep, Beef and Dairy), New Zealand Certificate in Animal Technology Rural Animal Technician Level 5, and New Zealand Certificate in Primary Industry Operation Skills Level 3. There were a further 47 graduates from Apiculture (online) and Equine (onsite) programmes who were unable attend on the day.
Faculty Head, Dr Sally Dobbs, said the graduation reflected the uniqueness of the Telford experience, where students live on-campus during the year in a close-knit community, forming strong friendships and bonds with tutors and fellow students alike. “...they are genuinely like a family. They’re not just graduating from a programme, they’re graduating from a family,” she said.
Looking ahead into 2025, Dr Dobbs said there were good enrolment numbers for Telford’s programmes, which was a positive note to end the year on.