For La Trobe University regional pro vice-chancellor Melanie Bish, the announcement of tertiary offers is always an important date.
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This year, however, there are two reasons for some extra excitement - her twin daughters Lara and Jorja have just finished year 12.
Like Associate Professor Bish, who has worked for more than 30 years as a nurse, Lara has chosen to pursue a career in health and a degree at La Trobe University.
Following in mum's nursing footsteps
"For Lara to be able to accept an offer to La Trobe University Bendigo, as a regional family it's a priority for us to be able to support her career aspirations," Associate Professor Bish said.
"To be able to do that in our own town and know that she's receiving a world-class education here is just fantastic."
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For Lara, it had been a dream since childhood to pursue work in this area and follow in her mother's footsteps.
The Diploma of Rural Health is where she will start, with her sights set on nursing like her mum.
"I feel like the job is such a rewarding job at times," Lara said.
"You know, I'll have my good days and bad days but I just feel like it's very interesting and will keep you going for a while."
World-class education while staying local
Like everyone, Lara was nervous to find out about offers, but said she had to trust that all the hard work had paid off.
The Catherine McAuley College graduate said she didn't want to move too far away from family and friends, and there were "awesome resources, awesome staff and a lot of good mentors" here in Bendigo.
Associate Professor Bish said there had been a "considerable uptake" of offers from the regions.
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"In addition to making sure that (students) are having a world-class education, the work integrated learning and clinical placement components of their degree mean that we have high uptake in employment in the regions," she said.
"That's what we're here to try to achieve in the regions - making sure that we educate locally and create a strong and robust rural and regional workforce.
"We are committed to ensuring better equity and access to higher education, and continuing to work hand-in-hand with regional communities to address workforce needs and undertake vital research."
VTAC offers up by 20 per cent
La Trobe University has increased Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre offers by 20 per cent this year, bringing the total offers to 6471, including more than 1600 in this January offer round.
La Trobe University Vice-Chancellor, Professor John Dewar AO, congratulated all students for their achievements.
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"The final years of secondary school are always challenging, but this year's cohort have had to contend with extra complications due to the pandemic - including adapting to online learning," Professor Dewar said.
"They have shown great resilience and flexibility in achieving their results, which is a tribute to them and their families and supporters."
International students at pre-pandemic levels
Professor Dewar said the university was also looking forward to welcoming many international students, with numbers on track to return to pre-pandemic levels this year.
"With post-study work rights and other incentives such as Destination Australia, many international students are choosing to study at our regional campuses, where they can receive a world-class education while enjoying the regional lifestyle," Professor Dewar said.
"It's wonderful to see our campuses reinvigorated, and the social and cultural contribution our international students make to campus life."
Among school leavers, La Trobe continues to be the most popular institution of choice for physiotherapy and occupational therapy, and continues to offer a wide range of pathways into its degree programs, such as the recently streamlined Aspire program.
Associate Professor Bish advised students who hadn't received an offer or an acceptance to not panic, and to link back into the universities so they could help find relevant entry pathways.
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