Celebrating our colleagues: Kate Ralph

Kate Ralph, Events & Communications Project Manager, Children’s University 

As Children’s University winds down after a record-breaking 2025, Kate Ralph reflects on the “symphony of logistics’’ behind the scenes for her team’s biggest and most rewarding undertaking of the year – graduation season. 

“It’s hundreds of gowns labelled per ceremony, thousands of certificates printed then triple-checked, senior exec briefings and speeches prepared, volunteers inducted, Bonython Hall set, merchandise orders packed and ready, and a team running on equal parts caffeine and adrenaline,’’ she says. 

In these “performances’’, Kate is the conductor, working with a seasoned and close-knit orchestra, to deliver memorable, magical moments for children, families and educators – the culmination of hundreds of hours of learning, effort and enrichment.   

For everyone in the CU team, led by Kiri Hagenus, the pageantry of these ceremonies, complete with academic procession, organ music and tasselled mortarboards, is just one visible reminder of why the work matters. 

With a powerful equity mission, Children’s University delivers the message that school students from all backgrounds can aspire to attend university. 

“I’ll never forget one particular family waiting first in line at Bonython Hall (for one of our earliest ceremonies in 2014), the mum wearing a fascinator, the uncle with a pocket square,’’ Kate recalls. “Their pride was palpable. It brought me close to tears.’’

The program’s impact is enduring and measurable. 

“CU started at one school in northern Adelaide and that year we had 22 graduates,’’ Kate says.  

“For our 10th anniversary, I tracked down some of those inaugural grads. The stories of where they are doing now were inspiring – scientists, nurses, social workers, teachers, architects. 

“When I reached out, they fondly remembered the CU smiley face, and the excitement of their graduation and party afterwards. It really did change their lives.’’  

The remarkable program began with just 45 students. Since then, over 54,000 students have graduated from around Australia, New Zealand and Mauritius.  

In 2025, its 13th year, CU Adelaide had its highest membership to date – 5,658 members – over 38.5% based in regional South Australia.  

Kate says the genuine interest and enthusiastic involvement of our leaders, including Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Høj, is impactful, especially as several were “first in family’’ to attend university. 

“One group of grads from a tiny regional school was incredulous and delighted when Chancellor Catherine Branson shared that she came from a country school with just seven students. They told me: ‘She’s just like us!’.’’

An observer watching this year’s 12 metropolitan ceremonies (a further 11 regional events were also held), involving thousands of eager gowned children, would see harmony and precision, as well as joy. But that’s not quite the full picture.  

“This role has made me incredibly adaptable,’’ Kate reveals. “I’ve learned how to problem-solve on the fly. I can now pivot quickly and creatively.’’  

This year, for example, a medical emergency unfolded, with CPR performed on a parent in the audience at Bonython Hall.  

“Incredibly there were two nurses sitting in the same row,’’ Kate recalls, of the drama, which fortunately ended well. “The stage party had no idea it was happening.’’ 

Sometimes nerves and excitement can prove too much for some youngsters. “It’s always a good year when no-one has vomited mid-ceremony,’’ she notes with a smile. 

Each year’s end also brings a robust sense of satisfaction looking back on the remarkable program delivered for CU participants, from in-person activities involving academics and PhD students, to online activities through the student portal, such as Cow Cam, creative photography challenges and even cookie making with a recipe from a MasterChef winner. 

It's busy and fulfilling work for Kate, who started at The University of Adelaide in 2012 in student recruitment with an equity focus, before moving to the Adelaide Compass program for primary schools, then Children’s University. 

“Most of our CU team members have been here for a significant amount of time, we’ve shared a lot of big life moments together – weddings, kids, new pets and houses,’’ she says. “We spend a lot of time together and we make it an enjoyable space.’’  

The holidays will be extra festive this year, as Kate and her young family recently welcomed adorable four-month-old Golden Retriever, Bernie. 

Puppy cuddles, along with gym visits and TV crime dramas, are some of her favourite ways to fill her cup. 

Kate is relishing what lies ahead for Children’s University in 2026. 

“The new Adelaide University represents a chance to innovate, strengthen community connections, and broaden opportunities for young people,’’ she says. “I’m optimistic about what this next chapter will bring for CU and the families we support, given that Widening Participation is an important part of the AU vision. 

“Seeing our students’ awe when they walk on to campus for the first time and say ‘I want to study here when I’m older’ is special. To know you’ve contributed something positive to their day and possibly their future is inspiring.’’ 

Story: Jackie Tracy, Communications Coordinator