Anh Nguyen is on his way to being a human movement specialist – in more ways than one.

The Vietnamese figure skating champion is one of 56 students who commenced bachelor degree study this session after successful completion of foundation programs at the Macquarie University International College.

As well as completing the Intensive Foundation Program, Anh somehow also found time to maintain a demanding training program that sees him skating  up to 24 hours per week.

With his eye firmly on admission to the Bachelor of Medical Sciences – and ultimately a career as a physiotherapist – Anh says the stress of balancing training and study was certainly worth it, and was eased by the support he found at the College.

“I would rather spend two months studying extra hard than not feeling fully prepared for university study. Macquarie University International College has definitely helped me to perform my best in both my academic and athletic life.”

College Director Jake Garman says that after all the work that has gone into establishing the College, it’s immensely satisfying to see students like Anh graduating and going on to achieve their goal of university admission.

“We’ve been greatly pleased with the successful launch of the College and the number and quality of students in this initial cohort. In particular, they have responded well to the intensive nature of the teaching terms, with our teachers commenting on how focused and motivated they’ve been.”

“Having worked so closely with academic and professional teams across the University to make their transition to degree study as smooth as possible, we’re confident these graduates will thrive.”

The College is now teaching its foundation and diploma programs out of its own space in E3A and E3B. Diploma students are scheduled to begin entering the second year of a range of undergraduate degrees from Session 2 this year.