She ended up winning the Charles Sturt University medal for her outstanding results in her bachelor of health sciences (mental health) degree.

"I read something somewhere that said statistically, children are more likely to go to uni if their mother graduates," Ms Pitt said.

"I want to set an example for my son and daughter [aged six and 13], and I want to have that piece of paper that demands a little bit more respect when I share my thoughts on what's culturally appropriate in the treatment of mental health."

The Torres Strait Islander student hails from Erub nation and completed her degree through the Wagga campus with Faye McMillan overseeing her throughout the program.

Though she studied online full-time while working full-time as an Aboriginal mental health clinician in Horsley near Wollongong.

"I really didn't have a social life for about three years," Ms Pitt laughed.

Her workplace did assist in her academic schedule by providing one day a week as an internal study day.

Having now completed the first hurdle, Ms Pitt has set herself some new challenges.

She will now begin her honour research before beginning a PhD in research and mental health policy.

"That's where the real change happens," she said.

As part of the Dijirruwang Program at the university, Ms Pitt was excited to meet with her cohort of 12 on their graduation day.

But unfortunately, as a result of the pandemic, that face-to-face meeting has had to be postponed.

"The 12 of us are all really close, we'd come down to Wagga once a year [for on-campus components] and we were looking forward to being able to graduate together," she said.

"It's still exciting [that we've graduated] but it has been a little anti-climatic."

For now, at least, Ms Pitt will host a low-key celebration of her enormous achievement with her closest friends and family.

"They're all so proud, my family are so excited about it," she said.