![ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: Charles Sturt University [CSU] Bathurst honours graduate Olive Lockett will receive a University Medal on Thursday for her dissertation on rural LGBTQI+ experiences. Photo: SAM BOLT](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/xry9xtRQu9u36zRV2j5976/e0a6611d-9120-4975-919e-5fd76895f50a.JPG/r0_0_4608_2591_w576_h298_fmax.webp "ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: Charles Sturt University [CSU] Bathurst honours graduate Olive Lockett will receive a University Medal on Thursday for her dissertation on rural LGBTQI+ experiences. Photo: SAM BOLT")
Bathurst-based Charles Sturt University [CSU] honours graduate Olive Lockett is set to receive the institution's highest academic recognition for her dissertation on rural LGBTQI+ experiences and issues.
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Ms Lockett will receive a University Medal for outstanding scholarly results at tomorrow's Faculty of Business, Justice and Behavioural Sciences graduation ceremony.
After a challenging year completing an honours degree in business, Ms Lockett said she was humbled to receive such recognition for her efforts.
"I see this as recognition from CSU that LGBTQI+ research is valued within the academic community," she said.
"There were plenty of times throughout the year where I struggled with crippling self-doubt, so it feels pretty surreal to receive such acknowledgement."
Ms Lockett's dissertation focused on developing a holistic framework for the organisation of LGBTQI+ pride events in rural communities.
"The research involved interviewing people with professional experience in hosting successful rural pride events, and I soon found it took one ambitious individual to transform public perception," she said.
"It was interesting to note a lack of overtly homophobic experiences among research subjects, which shows how far we've progressed in the last few years."
Ms Lockett is currently in the process of composing a journal article in order to put her findings to practical use.
"The framework is grounded in organisation for LGBTQI+ pride events but in all honesty, it can be used to celebrate anyone who is different," she said.
Ms Lockett, who completed a bachelor's degree in business last year, said the step up to honours was eye-opening.
"It felt like everything I had learned at uni over the last three years had flown out the window," she said of commencing her honours degree.
"There were a lot of tears and moments I felt out of my depth, but my supervisors helped me push forward."
Ms Lockett will be one of four University Medal recipients out of 682 students graduating from CSU's Bathurst campus this week.
"Bathurst's campus is a melting pot of people from right across Australia, and I've met so many unique individuals along the way," she said.
"While some may say there's limited opportunities in regional areas, the right connections can make a big difference."
CSU BATHURST GRADUATION CEREMONIES:
- Thursday, December 12 [9.30am]: Faculty of Business, Justice and Behavioural Sciences [202 students from the School of Policing Studies, Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security, School of Psychology, Centre for Customs and Excise Studies, Centre for Law and Justice, School of Computing and Mathematics, School of Accounting and Finance, and School of Management and Marketing.]
- Thursday, December 12 [2pm]: Faculty of Arts and Education [136 students from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Education, and School of Teacher Education.]
- Thursday, December 12 [6pm]: Faculty of Arts and Education [90 students from the School of Communication and Creative Industries, School of Indigenous Australian Studies, School of Information Studies, Division of Student Learning, and School of the Academic Success Unit.]
- Friday, December 13 [9.30am]: Faculty of Science [126 students from the School of Community Health, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health, School of Environmental Sciences, School of Dentistry and Health Sciences, School of Agriculture and Wine Sciences, and School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences.
- Friday, December 13 [2pm]: Faculty of Science [128 students from the the School of Human Movement Studies, School of Biomedical Sciences, and School of Exercise Science, Sport and Health.
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Sam Bolt
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
