It might have rained on their graduation parade today, but Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) graduates still had plenty to smile about. 

There were beaming faces all round as some 500 students walked through the CBD of Invercargill, clinging tightly to their caps to stop them blowing away in the blustery easterly wind. 

Traffic management controllers were on hand to make sure the students crossed the roads safely for the graduation procession which has a 20-year tradition. 

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The parade consisted of new graduates from the SIT2LEARN Distance Learning course, Queenstown Campus graduates and SIT Invercargill campus in Health, Humanities & Computing, Trades and Technology and New Media Arts & Business subjects. 

Students graduated with a range of qualifications including diplomas, degrees and post graduate qualifications. 

New graduates Abhishek Limbu (26) and Samir Thapa (28) both graduated with a graduate diploma in Hotel Management. 

They are students from the Queenstown campus and were down in Invercargill for the day for graduation. 

Despite the chilly welcome that Invercargill put on for them – Mr Limbu said the day was more than he could have hoped for.

“It was awesome it was one of the [most] memorable days of my life,” he said.

“It was a bit windy, but people have been here to take our pictures – we feel like we are the stars today.”

This is Mr Limbu’s first time graduating. 

New graduates Abhishek Limbu, right, and Samir Thapa, left, outside the Civic Theatre this afternoon following the parade. PHOTO: Lucy Henry

It’s estimated that 515 graduates were set to cross the stage at the Civic Theatre today at the ceremony before the parade. 

This is a similar number to 2019, and up from 430 graduates five years ago in 2015.