President Rigg, honoured guests, graduates, families and friends: welcome to Convocation!

Graduates, I warmly congratulate every one of you.

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 graduates 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 for their commitment and for the special efforts they all made 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.

Experiential courses give students the opportunity for hands-on learning, often in collaboration with organizations in the community.  Learning by doing allows you to develop skills, clarify your values, contribute to local and global communities, and make your studies come alive.

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

The Experiential Education Champions embedded in each Brock Faculty are subject-matter experts who work to mentor other faculty members, while continuing to develop experiential initiatives and ensure that Brock stays ahead of the curve.  Twenty different types of experiential opportunities are built into the University’s courses – from labs and simulations to practicums and internships.

Through these experiences, students give back to the local community while applying their learning to real-world situations and exploring ways they can use their education expertise in the future, whether locally or indeed globally.

Here at Brock, our students become engaged citizens who are resilient, involved, career-ready and versatile. Thank you again to the many employers and community partners with whom we have collaborated this year.  We couldn’t offer this learning without you.

Graduates, I come back to you for a final word.

As you leave Brock, I want to share 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 your mind and that you will explore your life after Brock with excitement and purpose.

Congratulations and warm wishes for your future success.

Thank you.