President Rigg, honoured guests, Brock University graduands, families and friends: welcome to this great day of Convocation!

Graduands, I congratulate each and every one of you.

You know that today is a joyful milestone in your life and in the lives of those who have supported you in your journey.

It wasn’t an easy journey. A university degree is a hard-won accomplishment that you should be proud of. And you, the Class of 2023 had some especially hard challenges in your time here, as did the classes of 2021 and 2022. You had to live through the pandemic-imposed closure of campus and the need to work online, losing valued time in person with your classmates and teachers.

Nevertheless, you and your families persevered to arrive successfully at today’s celebration.  I applaud you all for your resilience and your drive.

I also want to salute the many individuals who brought you to this day.  The teachers, mentors, advisors, and coaches who have been in your corner all the way.

This university is a true community. If you have lived in residence, eaten in a dining hall, walked to class, sat in a lecture room, worked in a lab, practiced in the athletic facilities, or simply enjoyed time in one of the many common spaces on campus, you have been supported by a faculty member, a residence advisor, a coach, an administrator or a facilities maintenance person who has made it possible.

I thank them all for their commitment and for the special efforts they all made in the face of the pandemic to offer you the best possible education and university experience.

I also want to acknowledge today the amazing generosity of the broader Niagara community. As donors, employers, sponsors and friends, people in the community have made it possible for Brock to give our students unique opportunities for workplace experience while still engaged in their studies.

Brock has an outstanding Co-op, Career and Experiential Education program.

Nearly all of Brock’s courses include the opportunity for hands-on learning, often in collaboration with organizations in the community.

This wouldn’t be possible without individuals who recognize the value of working with Brock and our students. Here are two quick stories.

In 2011, Rachel Song graduated from Brock with a Masters in Accounting. She now works for Siemens Energy. In April of this year, she was given the prestigious Alumni Co-op Employer Award for her outstanding contributions to Brock’s co-op program as a mentor and co-op champion within her company.

She was motivated by her own experience with a coop placement facilitated through Brock. Song has provided several meaningful work experiences for students — some of which have led to full-time employment opportunities. She has also offered valuable guidance and mentorship, returned to campus as a guest speaker and created an environment that fosters learning and development for students within Siemens Energy.

“I know what it feels like to be supported and how valuable a co-op placement can be,” she says “so as soon as I had a chance to give back, I did”.

Here is another story. This spring, political science students at Brock and their professors had a hands-on experience with the housing challenges facing Indigenous communities in Niagara. They met with Indigenous guests, developed policy briefs and recommendations, and then sat down at the Niagara Regional Native Center with members of the communities and the regional government to present and discuss their proposals for finding housing solutions.

This project is a terrific example of how Brock offers experiential research and education opportunities with real-world impact.

What’s more it furthers the commitment of Brock students and staff to supporting a culture of reconciliation and decolonization.

Their work will help support Indigenous-led conversations and keep the knowledge shared between Indigenous guests and Brock students in community hands.  Here at Brock, we help our students become engaged citizens who are resilient, involved, career-ready and versatile. We cannot do this without the help and support of the larger Niagara community.

So, a heartfelt thank you to the many employers and community partners with whom we have collaborated this year.

Graduands, I come back to you as I conclude.

As you prepare to leave Brock, I share with you a thought attributed to the Classical Roman author Plutarch: “The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.” I hope that your time here has indeed kindled a fire in you to explore your life after Brock with excitement and purpose.

Congratulations and warm wishes for your future success.

Thank you.