This post is a personal professional reflection by a Curtin University (Perth) graduate from 1992, centred on the Curtin Charge to the Graduates. While the charge itself is a recognised ceremonial element of Curtin graduation proceedings, the narrative - its long-term application across advertising, travel, education, ICT and retail contexts, and its continued physical presence in the author’s workplace - is original and experiential. No substantially similar personal posts are currently identifiable in publicly indexed online content.
Disclaimer The graduation charge quoted reflects commonly used Curtin University ceremonial wording; exact phrasing may have varied by year and ceremony. This post represents an individual’s lived experience and interpretation and does not claim official endorsement, representation or authorship by Curtin University or its affiliates.
🎓 The Charge That Became a Career 🐻
I’ve been thinking about how a single moment in life can quietly become the foundation for everything that follows. For me, that moment happened at my graduation from Curtin University, Perth - in 1992.
That day, I didn’t just receive a degree. I accepted a charge - a pledge spoken aloud, in front of my classmates, my family and the whole ceremony. At the time, it felt ceremonial. Years later, I realised it was something far more serious.
That charge has since followed me through advertising, travel, education, ICT and even the giftshop world - across roles, industries and chapters of life.
🧭 The charge I accepted
This is the Curtin “Charge to the Graduates” that I accepted in 1992:
“As graduates of Curtin University, you are charged to use the knowledge and skills you have gained with integrity and responsibility;
to pursue excellence in your personal and professional lives;
to contribute positively to your communities and to the wider world;
and to uphold the values and reputation of Curtin University.”
It wasn’t a slogan.
It wasn’t symbolic.
It was a life instruction - and I took it seriously enough to print it out and keep it on the wall at my place of work, where it has stayed ever since.
🕰️ When, where & who
📍 Curtin University, Perth
📆 1992 graduation ceremony
🎓 One cohort, one collective “Yes,” one promise made aloud.
More than three decades on, the words haven’t aged - if anything, they’ve sharpened.
🧠 Why it still matters
Because work is not just what we do - it’s who we are.
Across industries and job titles, that charge has been a steady compass. I don’t quote it often - but I let it speak through my decisions. Titles change. Industries shift. Values don’t.
🛠️ How it shows up in real life
Sometimes it’s quiet:
- choosing the ethical path when shortcuts are tempting
- keeping promises when it would be easier not to
- doing the right thing even when no one is watching
- Sometimes it’s harder:
- taking responsibility when things go wrong
- continuing to learn when comfort sets in
- using skills not just to succeed, but to serve
There have been moments when the easiest choice was not the right one.
That printed charge on my wall acts like a gentle (and occasionally stern 😄) boss - a daily reminder that integrity isn’t a value you admire; it’s a practice you live.
🌱 Legacy
Over time, this charge stopped being just personal.
It became something I quietly pass on - through how I mentor, lead, collaborate and show up at work.
🙏 Gratitude
I remain grateful for the education, the values and the reminder that learning - and character - are lifelong commitments.
✨ Conclusion
That pledge I made in 1992 is still alive in my work today.
It’s not nostalgia. It’s alignment.
So if you ever feel disconnected from your work, it might be worth revisiting the values that started you.
Because some commitments don’t expire - they mature.
🔄 Invitation
If you’ve ever carried a principle, pledge or promise that shaped your professional life, I’d love to hear it.
What has stayed with you?
💡 Final thought
Education gives us skills.
Character determines how we use them.
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