During her Convocation address, the Brock alumna and member of the Order of Canada asked the University\u2019s newest graduates to reflect on a similar time in their own lives when something happened that they knew wasn\u2019t right, but rather than speak up, they remained silent.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want you to think back to a time or a situation \u2026 where someone said or did something discriminatory, homophobic, racist, xenophobic, ablest \u2014 something that was unkind or unsettling,\u201d said Walker-Young, who is nationally recognized not only for her athletic ability, but also for her advocacy work for inclusion and accessibility. \u201cIf you have remained silent in a situation like this, raise your hand.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Elisabeth-Walker-Young-2-1050x700.jpg\")
Brock alumna Elisabeth Walker-Young delivers the Convocation address during the University\u2019s morning ceremony.<\/p><\/div>\n
As a sea of students and their guests with their hands held high acknowledged their own experiences, Walker-Young explained that they are not alone.<\/p>\n
It is human nature to stand by quietly and there are many reasons to do so, she said, whether out of concern for physical or emotional safety, or due to power dynamics at play.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut when we stay quiet, we are complicit in the behaviour. In a way, we are condoning it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
While saying nothing in these challenging circumstances may be a common fault in society, Walker-Young assured the crowd there remains opportunity for change.<\/p>\n
\u201cVery often the people who are on the receiving end of these situations have less power in our society. They\u2019re targets of imbalances and harmful actions,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat if more of us could disrupt those conversations?\u201d<\/p>\n
She encouraged her fellow Badgers to become \u2018active bystanders\u2019 and amplify the voices of others.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf all of us did it, we\u2019d make this world and the communities we live in a little bit safer, and allow people to bring their authentic selves everywhere they go,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Walker-Young said active bystanders who were in her corner as a high-performance student-athlete at Brock had a tremendous impact on her life.<\/p>\n
Brock is where \u201cI found, or settled into, my identity,\u201d she said. \u201cBelieve it or not, with a visible, physical disability, I never identified as disabled.<\/p>\n
\u201cDisability comes with a negative connotation, but a handful of people, many of whom are here today, were active witnesses in my life.\u2026 Their speaking up, their amplifying of my voice, was everything to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Walker-Young urged the Class of 2022 to form a \u201cnetwork of allies, accomplices and activists\u201d who can support one another in speaking up and helping to better society.<\/p>\n
Brock\u2019s Fall Convocation saw more than 1,000 graduates receive their degrees. Earlier in the week, the University also welcomed back more than 1,600 alumni from the Classes of 2020 and 2021 for two days of legacy Convocation celebrations<\/a>.<\/p>\n Walker-Young\u2019s full Convocation address is available on YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n In addition to the gallery below, more photos from Fall Convocation on Friday, Oct. 14 can be found on Brock University\u2019s Facebook page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\t