‘‘I’m feeling pretty good. There’s a huge sense of achievement," she said.
About 370 people had expected to graduate in person from the university at a ceremony at the Dunedin Town Hall today but Covid-19 restrictions meant the public ceremony had to be cancelled.
Instead, more than 450 people, including Miss Bond, will graduate in absentia.
‘‘I was really looking forward to graduating in person.’’
She was disappointed but was taking everything in her stride, and had hired the academic regalia despite having no ‘‘live’’ graduation ceremony.
Her father, mother and sister were coming south from Oamaru and would celebrate the successful completion of her BCom, majoring in accounting, with her over dinner tonight.
She joked that the cancelled graduation was similar to all the other problems she had had during the four and a-half years she had taken to complete the usually three-year degree, after having several severe health conditions. .
‘‘It definitely does fit with the way everything that has gone.
‘‘Everything else has come crashing down - why not graduation?’’ she joked.
Her health conditions included lupus, an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue.
She also experienced Meniere’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear that results in episodes of spinning and ringing in the ears.
One year she spent about 100 nights in hospital, and underwent two surgeries during her studies.
An intravenous fluid (IV) line was taken out one day to enable her to go to university for an exam.
She then returned to hospital and had the IV put back in.
‘I do have a very good sense of humour," Miss Bond said.
‘‘My medical team kind of helped. They laughed along with me, which was great - especially when you’ve got friends who laugh too.’’
She was also grateful for the support of family, university staff and the campus Disability Information and Support service.
In response to medication, her face had once changed colour dramatically.
It was back to normal now and she could see the funny side.
‘‘I’ve managed to make it.’’