Brandon University (BU) will confer degrees to nearly 600 new graduates during two days of Convocation celebrations this week.
The occasion will be split into four ceremonies at BU’s Healthy Living Centre:
Graduates from the Faculty of Science and School of Music will receive their degrees during Thursday’s 10 a.m. ceremony. At 2 p.m. the Faculty of Education ceremony will take place.
Friday’s slate features the Faculty of Healthy Studies at 10 a.m, followed by the Faculty of Arts at 2 p.m.
“It’s a thrill and an honour to be able greet each of our graduates at the stage as they are rewarded for their hard work and accomplishments as Brandon University students,” said University Registrar Andrea McDaniel, whose office oversees Convocation. “Convocation is the culmination of months of planning and preparation by staff and faculty across BU, and seeing the smiling faces of our graduates and their supporters is a heart-warming experience.”
"You know, it's one of my favorite times on the whole academic calendar,” shares Director of Marketing and Communications, Grant Hamilton. “It's really special to be there and watch grads walk across the stage, get their degrees and enter the next chapter of their lives. There's always so much emotion both in the crowd and friends and families and community members watching. But then the graduates themselves, when they realize, wow, all the work that I put into this, all the papers that I wrote, the late nights in the lab, the assignments. It's all come together into this moment. I did it!”
“They’re so proud and we’re so proud of them,” adds Hamilton. “It's just a wonderful couple of days!”
Please listen to more with Grant Hamilton below!
The entire community is invited to help the graduates celebrate.
To accommodate the large crowds of grads, friends, family and BU faculty and staff, the intersection of Louise Avenue and 20th Street will be closed to traffic to give everyone the chance to safely and freely explore the campus. Parking at BU is free during Convocation, and signage will be posted to guide visitors to the parking areas. All ceremonies will also be livestreamed at BrandonU.ca/Convocation/Livestream.
Convocation brings to a close a week of celebrations that began with last Friday’s Our Journey ceremony recognizing Indigenous student success at Brandon University, Assiniboine College and the Brandon School Division.
This year’s Convocation week also includes performances by two honorary degree recipients, CBC host and musician Tom Allen, and soprano Elin Rombo, who will take the stage at the Lorne Watson Recital Hall on Wednesday and Thursday evening, respectively.
Other elements to the Convocation ceremonies include speeches by valedictorians from each faculty, an honour song, the presentation of awards to BU faculty and staff, recognizing their contributions in education, research and community involvement, and the Distinguished Teacher Awards, which are given out each year to recognize excellence in the K-12 school system.
Additionally, each graduate will receive a commemorative print by Neepawa artist Katy Martin, along with their degree parchment, as a memento of their time at BU.