CUC Hughenden first anniversary: Meet the students
Published on 16 September 2026
Finding focus at CUC Hughenden: Anna Bethel’s journey to the classroom
Balancing higher education with work and family is hard enough – adding geographic isolation and a lack of local study spaces makes it feel nearly impossible.
For Anna Bethel, who lives on a station outside of Hughenden, balancing her studies with raising two young girls and working part-time at Prairie State School required finding a space where she could purely focus.
Enter CUC Hughenden. After hearing about the Centre through social media and family, Anna became a member to carve out a dedicated boundary between home and academic life.
“When you are studying externally, particularly with children, work and other commitments, there are always distractions at home,” said Anna.
“Going to the CUC means I can set aside a block of time where university is my priority.”
Currently completing a Bachelor of Education through CQUniversity, Anna’s path to a degree wasn’t a straight line.
Her journey included taking breaks, working, having kids and shifting from part-time to full-time study over the past 18 months.
Anna is now preparing to step into her teaching career next year.
She said the CUC made higher education more achievable by supporting residents to study locally, while remaining close to family, work and community networks.
“I think it shows that living regionally doesn’t have to mean limiting your education or career opportunities,” she said.
“People shouldn’t necessarily have to leave their community or move to a major town or city just to access support while completing university.”
Beyond her personal goals, Anna sees the Centre as a vital tool for keeping essential skills in rural communities.
She’s hopeful it will help address critical regional shortages in fields like education, healthcare and engineering.
“By offering these centres, it will be interesting to see in a few years how they have impacted these roles being filled by locals and students who have utilised CUC’s facilities and services during their courses,” she added.
Anna’s biggest piece of advice for anyone on the fence about studying? Don’t worry about having a perfect plan.
“There isn’t one right way to get a degree,” she said. “You don’t have to have everything worked out before you start, and your study doesn’t have to follow the same path as somebody else’s.
“Having a goal-oriented mindset and high expectations of yourself will help you reach those goals, however long that may take.”
Building a future at home: How Jesse Holmstrom is tackling a trade and fatherhood in Hughenden
For Jesse Holmstrom, living in Hughenden for the past decade has provided a welcome change of pace, but pursuing a carpentry apprenticeship while raising a child in a remote town presented serious logistical hurdles.
Initially hesitant after 15 years away from study, Jesse was unsure how he would juggle his carer responsibilities with his training and lacked reliable internet at home to access his course materials.
Country Universities Centre Hughenden changed everything by offering 24/7 access, free internet, printing and computer access, and a dedicated space away from daily distractions.
“Without the CUC to further my apprenticeship, I would need to leave town for weeks at a time to do the practical and study component, which is nearly impossible to do as I am the full-time carer for my son and this would mean he would miss out on school,” said Jesse.
Driven by a lifelong passion for construction and a desire to build a strong future for his son, Jesse is now halfway through his apprenticeship.
His long-term goal is simple yet impactful: to build and renovate houses across the local community, directly helping to address the region’s housing shortage.
Having local support has not only boosted Jesse’s confidence and digital skills, but it has also proven that trade success is reachable without sacrificing family life.
He views facilities like the CUC as critical for keeping talent in remote areas.
“From my perspective, not having internet until I was able to use CUC facilities was problematic and limited my access in a number of areas,” he said.
“It excites me to know that our future generation can benefit from further education without having to move away from family and friends.”
Jesse’s straightforward advice to anyone doubting their ability to study regionally?
“Give it a crack! It’s more achievable than you think,” he said.