The message of those who yesterday completed their courses in school counselling, B. Communications, sports and leisure, and youth and community studies was one of hope - hope in that what they got out of university would benefit Maltese society.
In her speech representing graduands at yesterday's graduation ceremony, Fleur Bianco, BA (Hons) Youth and Community Studies, pointed out the difficulties ahead, including the fact that they were not yet recognised as professionals.
"We hope that society, apart from using us, would have structures that would appreciate the capabilities we have achieved," Ms Bianco said.
Internally, the university itself had started realising the importance of these studies, which reflected not only the importance of formal education in schools and other higher institutions, but also the importance of informal education that strengthened the personal, social and political education of youths.
A concept that has been formally accepted by the National Minimum Curriculum, it was not yet being implemented in a clear and aggressive manner, Ms Bianco said.
In her address, Moira Cachia, BPsych. (Hons), said that while her university experience was positive, there was room for improvement in certain areas, including more precise planning of the psychology course so that students would know exactly what is required of them before applying.
As a mature student, Ms Cachia highlighted the problems they faced to go back to their studies, stressing on the need to strengthen the childcare service available. While her two children had had positive experiences at this facility, it only catered for about 30 children, aged between two and five, and did not cover the needs of students. The waiting list was growing from year to year, she said, adding that "we have been hearing about the possibility of a larger centre that could cater for children younger than two and an afternoon service for children aged five and over".
Interviews at the beginning of the course also had to be more sensitive and less discriminatory - questions on whether childcare and support had been considered were only put to female mature students, Ms Cachia pointed out.
The following students graduated yesterday (*denotes in absentia):
Bachelor of Psychology
Sponsor: Dr C. Borg
Espen Edvardsen, Christabelle M. Grech, Xin Wang.
Bachelor of Psychology (Hons) 2002-2006
Sponsor: Dr C. Borg
Adele Azzopardi Giappone, Justine Balani, Maria Balzan, Sue-Ann Beiruty*, Nadia Bisazza, Roberto Bommarito, Elaine Marie Bonnici, Andrew Borg, Daniela Borg, Sandra Borg, Christian Borg Xuereb, Laura Busuttil, Moira Cachia, Steven Camilleri, Julian Caruana, Claudette Cassar, Veronique Cassar, Reuben Cutajar, Rebecca De Gaetano, Rebecca Debattista, Bojana Dimitrovska, Nina Cecilie Engebakken, Arnold Farrugia*, Christine Farrugia, Nicola Francalanza, Nadine Gabriele, Denise Galea, Alexia Gauci, Jeannie Grima, Esther Huy, Jean Paul Magrin, Clare Micallef, Elaine Mifsud, Pauline Pace, Renè Pace, Keith Ian Pirotta, Alexander Ploujnikov, Daniela Sammut, Catherine Scicluna, Pauline Scicluna, Michela Spiteri Paris, George Sultana*, Ramona Toscano, Gail Vella, Vania Xuereb, David Zammit Dimech*.
Bachelor of Psychology (Hons) 2003-2006
Sponsor: Dr C. Borg
Ashley Adolphson, Adrian Aquilina, Nicola Attard, Tony Attard, Michelle Bajada, Rachel Bajada, Sunaina Balani, Georgianne Baldacchino, Matthew Bartolo, Ruth Bonanno, Daniel Borg, Mandy Borg, Michael Borg, Christine Borg Cunen, Kirsten Calleja*, Angelique Camilleri, Krista Camilleri, Rebecca Camilleri, Romina Camilleri, Jeanette Cassar, Mary Cassar Torreggiani, Martina Castillo, Rubyanne Cauchi, Abigail Church, Marilyn Cutajar, Samuel Cutajar, Rebecca Darmanin, Francesca Diacono, Angele Ellul, Chantelle Falzon, Corinne Farrugia, Marisa Farrugia, Rosanne Farrugia, Martha Ferrito, Tiziana Gafa', Frances Galea, Michela Galea Bonavia, Andrea Garroni, Benjamin Gatt, Erika Genovese, Martina Gerada, Kristian Green, Carmel Grima, Marlene Haber, Stephen Magri, Julian Mallia, Christine Patricia Marchand Agius, Joseph Mercieca, Cristina Micallef, Emma Micallef, Lara Micallef, Charlene Nathalie Mifsud, Alessandra Muscat, Kirsty Polidano, Lorraine Marie Portelli, Marc Psaila Soler, Alexia Rossi, Irene Sammut, Marta Sant, Joanne Scerri, Elaine Schembri, Lisa Schembri, Marika Schembri, Marilyn Spiteri, Rodianne Xuereb, Andrea Rose Zammit, Ronald Anthony Zammit, Monique Zerafa.
Postgraduate Certificate in Education
Simone Abela*, Joanna Attard, Sarah Jane Azzopardi, Tania-Jo Azzopardi, Josianne Baldacchino, Kathleen Baldacchino, Alison Bartolo, Maria Bongailas, Anabel Bonnici, Patrick Bonnici, Steven Borg*, Arnaud Bouvier, Jennifer Briffa, Anthony Bugeja, David Bugeja, James Bugeja*, Nadine Bugeja, Charlene Cachia, Daniela Cachia, Charlene Caruana, Deborah Caruana, Mary-Anne Caruana, Josianne Cascun, Anabel Cassar, Maria Assunta Chetcuti, Stephanie Chetcuti, Melanie Chircop, Anna Marie Cilia, Joanne Cilia, Daniel Cordina, Charmaine Dalli, Kevin De Dono, Lara May Debono, Maria Debrincat, Alexander Ellul, Dona Marie Falzon, Giselle Fiorini*, Rosanna Formosa, Sarah Galea, Denise Gauci, Hertian Gauci, Lindsay Gauci, Mark Gauci, Christopher Giordano, Charmaine Grech, Franco Grech, Mariella Grech, Sarah Jane Grima, Anika Griscti, Diahann-Dilys Harmsworth, Kristina Imm Depasquale*, Analise Jones, Olivia Lewis, Miriam Magro, Daniela Mallia, Ivan Mallia, Danielle Christienne Mamo, Kirsten Mangion, Simone Mangion, Elysia Micallef, Patrizia Serafina Mirabella, Josette Mizzi, Marie Muscat, Trudy Muscat, Alexia Nappa, Belinda Pirard*, Tanya Portelli, Redianne Saliba, Christine Spiteri, Daniel Spiteri, Pamela Spiteri*, Roslyn Colette Spiteri, Sylvia Spiteri, Dianne Sultana, Marthese Sultana, Dorianne Vassallo, Charlotte Christine Vella, Elton Vella, Nathalie Williams, Astrid-Marie Xuereb, Audrey Xuereb, Piera Xuereb, Roseanne Zammit.
Diploma in Public Administration
Irene Attard, Mariella Axiak, Lorianne Barbara, Paul Bonello, Gaetano Borg, Audreyanne Bugeja, Duncan Busuttil, Josephine Cachia, Francis Callus, Mary Rose Camilleri, Doreen Cardona, Michael Cardona, Albert Cassar, Victor Chetcuti, Mary Ciantar, Noel Ciantar, Theresa Cilia, Jeffrey Curmi, Maria Dolores Ellul, Charlene Fabri, Andrew Falzon, Francis Farrugia, Karen Farrugia, Eunice Maria Fiorini, Jason Peter Grech, Marie Therese Johnson, Marco Kirkop, Philip Emanuel Massa, Francis Xavier Micallef, Mario Pace, Charmaine Scicluna, Mary Scicluna, Raymond Scicluna, Elaine Tonna.
BA (Hons) in Youth & Community Studies
Sponsor: Dr C. Borg
Fleur Bianco, Joseph Borg, Stephanie Borg, Louis Costa, Patrick Gatt.
Bachelor of Communications
Sponsor: Rev. Prof. S. Chircop
Robert Agius*, Anna Maria Anastasi, Elaine Attard, Felix Attard, Melvin Attard, Matthew Azzopardi, Evelina Blagoeva, Annaliza Borg, Rebecca Ann Borg, Ronald Briffa, Chanel Marie Busuttil, Ramona Busuttil, Marylin Buttigieg, Christina Calleja, Brenda Camilleri, Dawn Cassar, Ruth Cassar, Yao Cheng, Sarah Cordina, Ruth Alice Davies, Gail Demanuele, Maria Ellul, Cedric Anthony Farrugia, Jonas Farrugia, Warren Finn, Claudia Formosa, Karen Gili, Maria Grech, Flavia Joanna Grima, Natalie Gut, Samantha Mamo, David Mercieca, Nigel Micallef, Pablo Micallef, Linna Mo, Kevin Vella, Maria Cristina Vella, Romina Vella, Wei Wu, Noel Zammit.
Bachelor of Communications (Hons)
Sponsor: Rev. Prof. S. Chircop
Eleonora Rose Abela, Carina Anastasi, Michelle Bonnici, Christopher Bugeja, Matthew Carbone, Lorraine Caruana, Catherine Cassar Torreggiani, Stephen Farrugia, Helena Fountain, Nathalie Gaglione, Annabelle Galea, Elaine Galea, Jonathan Galea, Nicholas Gatt, Nicole Grima, Wendy Jane Hodgson, Kremena Ilieva*, Evguenia Kozlovskaia, Monika Maslowska, Maria Pia Meli, Lisa Mizzi, Abigail Muscat, Richard Muscat Azzopardi, Clifton Pulis, Olwyn Jo Saliba, Kevin John Sant, Daniel Schembri, Ingrid Vella, Melissa Vella, Doreen Zammit, Maria Zhil 'Tsova.
Postgraduate Diploma in School Counselling
Mario Bezzina*, Carmen Bonanno, Marie Claire Cassar, Marjoe Cassar, Paul Cutajar, Andrew Delia, Bridget Judy Pavia, Mary Portelli, Pauline Pulis Baldacchino, Christine Scerri, Wilma Ventura, Catherine Zammit.