CQU alumni return to Cairns Campus for a life-changing ‘yes’
In a moment charged with eight years of shared history, long-distance devotion and fond memories, CQUniversity Cairns Campus played a pivotal role in the lives of two former CQU students earlier this month, becoming the unforgettable backdrop for a surprise proposal.
Surrounded by the familiar warmth of the campus that shaped both their studies and their relationship, James Brown knelt before his partner, Rhanee Casillano, and asked the question: “Will you marry me?”
With a heartfelt, joy-filled yes, the pair celebrated in the very spot in the reception foyer where a five-minute conversation first set their story in motion.
Their story began in July 2017, when both were waiting for appointments with their lecturers. Rhanee, newly arrived from the Philippines, sat quietly in the corner of the reception area preparing for her first academic paper.
James, a mature-age student reviewing an exam with his lecturer, noticed her, offered a smile, and started a conversation neither realised would change the course of their lives.
“We talked about our degrees, our travels and the places we loved to eat,” Rhanee said.
“I hadn’t even been in Cairns a week and didn’t have an Australian phone number yet, so we swapped social media instead. That’s how we stayed connected.”
What began as a brief exchange grew into a steady friendship built on shared coffees, study sessions and a mutual passion for supporting fellow students. James, the campus Student Mentor Leader at the time, would often see Rhanee around the shared study areas, and she soon joined the mentor program herself.
Their connection deepened through long afternoons spent helping international students navigate assignments, referencing and Moodle, and discovering they shared the same curiosity and love of learning.
For James, CQUniversity offered a chance to reset his career after a decade working in international business and hotel management. Returning to study meant relearning academic skills, but he says the Cairns Campus gave him the support he needed. The program’s partnership with the London Ambulance Service (LAS) also offered life-changing international experience, an opportunity he later pursued after graduating.
“Getting the job with LAS was exciting, but it also meant leaving someone incredibly important behind,” James said.
“We thought ending the relationship was the sensible thing to do, but when I returned to Australia two years later and saw Rhanee again, it felt like no time had passed. That’s when I knew I wanted to rebuild what we had.”
For Rhanee, her time at CQUniversity launched a career she hadn’t imagined when she first arrived in Australia. She became an international student representative, then a mentor and later a research assistant with CQU academics Dr Anja Pabel and Dr Elena Konovalov. Those early experiences paved the way for a career that has since included roles in hospitality management, events and now lecturing in Perth.
“CQU opened doors for me in ways I never expected. It shaped my confidence, my career and my life in Australia,” Rhanee said.
The proposal, one James had planned months in advance, almost didn’t happen on time. The ring arrived only a day before Rhanee flew in from Perth and James had landed in Cairns a week earlier to coordinate the moment with campus staff. But once they walked back into the reception foyer, everything fell into place.
Rhanee said the moment was overwhelming, nostalgic and incredibly happy.
James admits he felt relieved, excited and grateful when she said yes, even though he never doubted her answer.
Now based in Western Australia, James works as a paramedic with St John Ambulance WA and Rhanee is a lecturer at Stanley International College and AustraliAsia Polytechnic. Both credit their professional paths and their personal future to the university.
“It’s unlikely we would have met anywhere else,” James said.
“Our journey started with a simple ‘hi’ at the CQU reception, grew into love and came full circle with a ‘yes’. It just goes to show that some journeys are truly best walked together.”
The happy couple is now planning their wedding in the Philippines surrounded by family and friends.
