Surrounded by excited family and friends, Matt graduated with his class in a ceremony on July 20 at the prestigious HMAS Cerberus training facility near Melbourne.

Matt had to endure an intensive eleven week program before graduating into the mainstream Navy core in a program that is designed to ensure applicants have the “Right Stuff” to adapt to life in the Royal Australian Navy.

Initially applicants have little contact with the outside world and are only allowed certain privileges with the passing of weeks in this intense program.

Not all his peers made it through the training program but those that did now look forward to promising careers with friendships already forged for life.

Matt now intends to continue his career in Communications and Information Systems (CIS) where sailors are trained to operate the Navy’s telecommunications systems using equipment which span the communications spectrum.

Sailors in the CIS also perform visual communication and operates and administers a number of local and wide area information technology networks used in the fleet.

It’s a demanding life style, but one that Matt’s proud relatives and friends that attended the ceremony are sure he will adapt to.

There’s little time for recreation but Matt has already been scouted by those in the rugby union ranks and no doubt they already like what they see.

Matt recently had his first game of rugby union with the Cerberus “Doggies” which they won by a whopping 95-0.

Matt was awarded two points for the match and picked up the game medal as well.

That news wouldn’t surprise local footy fans as Matt has been an instrumental member of both Boorowa Rugby Union and Rugby League teams.

Matt will continue to be stationed in Victoria whilst undertaking further training in his chosen field before he will receive a further posting in coming months.

He is just another example of how Students from our small town are making their mark on a much larger stage.