Friends, families, honoured guests, and Brock University graduands: I am pleased to welcome you all to this day of Convocation!
I am truly glad to be here on campus in person celebrating with you on this special occasion.
Graduands, I want to start by congratulating every one of you.
You already know that today is a milestone in your life. This is a very important event for you and for all who have supported you in your journey to this day.
It’s also memorable because after more than two years of pandemic-related disruption and uncertainty, we feel even more joy and relief in coming together to celebrate your significant achievements.
Earning a university degree is challenging at any time. But you, the Class of 2022, overcame some of the most difficult circumstances our university has seen in generations: the closure of campus, including the residences for a period, the transition to online learning, and the stress of not knowing when it would end or if we could get back to “normal”.
Brock students and their families adapted, with resilience, tenacity and perseverance.
I am certain that you will look back on the adversity you faced during this time and recognize that the situation you faced with such determination will have had a positive aspect in preparing you for your post-graduate lives.
Your families, friends and other supporters were also important in getting you successfully to this day. Many have acted as mentors, as advisors, as coaches. They have been shoulders to lean on, I am sure, for many of you. I thank them for their commitment, and I share in their admiration for you.
Brock is a tight-knit community full of people who want you to succeed. The faculty and staff have worked very hard to give you the knowledge and skills that will serve you well as you move forward into your lives. I want to thank them too for their extraordinary efforts through the uncertain conditions of these pandemic years to offer you the best possible education.
Brock is an institution founded on the support and generosity of the Niagara community. This community advocated in the 1950s for the region to have its own university. It raised funds in the 1960s for the first buildings to go up here. That generosity continues to this day. Just two weeks ago we celebrated a transformative gift made to the University this year by the Haj-Ahmad family. Dr. Haj-Ahmad, a former professor at Brock, and his family are contributing to the expansion of the University and to a next generation of Brock students with a gift to the new Engineering program.
Our donors and our community partners are our invaluable supporters.
Nearly all of Brock’s courses include the opportunity for hands-on, experiential learning, often in collaboration with organizations in the community.
These kinds of opportunities augment our exceptional in-class education and help students to develop their full potential.
This wouldn’t be possible without individuals who recognize the value of working with Brock and our students. To everyone we have collaborated with this year, thank you so much for your support.
Graduands, you’re entering the world at a complicated time. We are living in a period of rapid change. Today’s world is very different than it was even two decades ago.
Yet you will be well-prepared to take on the opportunities that I am sure will be presented to you. The education you received and the relationships you’ve built here at Brock will serve you well, as will the values that we hold strongly at this University: integrity, respect, inclusivity, innovation, stewardship and reconciliation.
I conclude by sharing with you the advice of the wonderful writer Maya Angelou:
“Pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.”
Graduands, congratulations on everything that you’ve achieved and warm wishes for your future success.
Thank you.