Wilfrid Laurier University celebrated the accomplishments of about 1,780 students during its Fall convocation ceremonies on the Waterloo and Brantford campuses.
The Waterloo campus hosted seven convocation ceremonies Oct. 14, 15 and 16 at the Lazaridis Hall auditorium. A ceremony was also held at the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts on the Brantford campus on Oct. 20.
As of Oct. 6, 1,557 students qualified to graduate in Waterloo, while 225 qualified in Brantford. The university expected to confer 1,227 undergraduate degrees, 496 graduate degrees and 59 diplomas throughout the ceremonies.
While graduation refers to the successful completion of all degree or diploma requirements, convocation is a ceremony that celebrates graduates and their achievements. Held twice a year, in the spring and fall, the ceremonies give students an opportunity to recognize their hard work alongside friends and family.
Ben Albright, who completed his master’s degree in Communication Studies, described feeling grateful to be finished.
“It was good, good energy, good to see my classmates again,” said Albright.
As part of Laurier’s fall convocation ceremonies, two honorary Doctor of Laws were awarded to outstanding members of the community: Paralympian Jason Dunkerley and investment leader Ed Devlin.
Devlin is a Laurier alumnus with a Bachelor of Business Administration. He is the founder and managing partner of Devlin Capital, an investment firm focused on global fixed-income markets.
Before founding the firm, Devlin spent nearly 15 years at Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO), where he served as managing director and head of Canadian portfolio management. He also co-founded PIMCO Canada, helping grow its assets to more than $50 billion from Canadian clients. Devlin is a senior fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute and chairs the Stratford Festival’s endowment board.
Dunkerley received his honorary degree at the Brantford ceremony. Along with being an author and advocate, Dunkerley has represented Canada at five Paralympic Games between 2000 and 2016, earning five Paralympic medals and four world championship titles.
Born blind due to Leber congenital amaurosis, Dunkerley attended the W. Ross Macdonald School for the Blind in Brantford after immigrating to Canada from Northern Ireland.
Almas McConnell, one of the event’s marshals, described a mixture of excitement and nervousness among the students.
“I graduated in June so it’s fun to be able to do the marshal part, after graduating myself. Being able to put myself in their shoes, because I know how stressful, and nerve-wracking it is. Especially when you’re on stage, it’s a big deal,” said McConnell.
McConnell said the university takes steps to help students feel comfortable and prepared before crossing the stage.
“There is so much care that goes on in the background to make sure that students are feeling comfortable. Students have a demo before graduation and we’re always there every step of the way for any questions, so they know what’s happening throughout the day,” McConnell said.
For some graduates, the experience brought about expected nervousness.
“It was nerve-wracking, I didn’t think I would be first,” said Tyson Acosta-Sanchez, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.
Others took the opportunity to enjoy the experience, despite not being drawn to large ceremonies.
“I’m not really one for big ceremonies, but it’s a good experience. Good to see everyone so happy,” said Riley Parsons, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in History.
Convocation is a time of celebration for the students of Laurier. Congratulations to all the graduates across the Waterloo and Brantford campuses.
Contributed photo by Santosh Chandrasekar
