‘Mistaken for my twin’: Mother and daughter graduate uni together
A mother and daughter have graduated university on the same day and on the first anniversary of the family matriarch’s death.
When Belinda Matijevic moved to the Gold Coast to support her daughter through university, she never thought she would be graduating too.
But that is what happened when the 55-year-old, now living in Unley, South Australia, shared her graduation day with her daughter Clare Matijevic last Thursday.
Belinda received her Master of Business Administration on the same morning Clare, 21, was awarded a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Psychological Science from Bond University.
“It was a very special moment,” Clare, a Bond University Vice Chancellor’s Elite Scholarship recipient, said.
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“Not every day you get to graduate with your mum. She was even mistaken for my twin sister.”
Clare, who graduated with Second Class Honours in Law, will move to Brisbane in January to begin an associateship with Justice Lincoln Crowley, who was appointed to the Supreme Court of Queensland in 2022. He is the first Indigenous Australian to be appointed as a state or Territory justice.
As well as celebrating their graduations, the October 15 date had special significance for the two, as it fell on the first anniversary of Belinda’s mother’s – Clare’s grandmother’s – death.
“A year ago, it was very tough,” Belinda, whose family has connections to the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in remote north-west South Australia, said.
“I took time away from life, just to concentrate on me and grieve,” Belinda said.
“I was the first person in my family to go to uni and my mum would have been proud to see me and Clare graduate.
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In fact, graduating together was a motivation for Belinda to fast-track her studies.
“I wanted to graduate with Clare. That was my drive.
“(So) I actually accelerated my studies and completed half the MBA in 14 weeks.”
The day was even more surprising because Belinda had not intended to further her studies.
“I came to an Open Day and had a chat with the MBA coordinator,” Belinda said. “That led to enrolling, and off we went.”
And Belinda is not done yet.
She is now studying Bond’s Juris Doctor online while working full-time in Adelaide.
“Bond has just been such a fantastic experience and has been very special for our family,” Clare said.
Belinda agreed.
“This is the beginning of a new chapter for us,” Belinda said.
“A milestone neither of us had planned, but one we will always treasure.”
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