Close to 700 graduates celebrated from the School of Business and Management

The Welland Campus Athletic Centre was filled with excitement when Niagara College celebrated day one of Spring Convocation on June 12, officially ushering nearly 700 new graduates into its alumni community.

The graduates, from the School of Business and Management, were joined by more than 1,400 guests who attended the afternoon ceremony, which included the inaugural graduating classes from the Business Analytics and Supply Chain Management programs.

NC also incorporated new Indigenous elements into the event. As graduates entered the Welland Campus gymnasium, the Strong Water Singers, a local Indigenous-led women’s drum group, drummed songs representing teachings of love, truth, humility, respect, bravery, honesty and wisdom.

College President Sean Kennedy took to the podium to address the Class of 2023, encouraging everyone to never lose sight of their authentic inner child as they journey through life’s unexpected twists and turns.

“May you always be guided by your inner five-year-old in embracing a world full of possibility, discovery, wonder and joy,” said Kennedy, who was joined on the convocation stage by Fiona Allan, Vice President Academic. “Be responsible adults and citizens but remember your early self, before the pressures of social norms and social media, before you felt the demands and stresses and messes of society and our interconnected world.”

“Think, explore and experiment like a five-year-old to create more, to imagine more positive possibilities of the future, of ways of making our world better, and bigger,” he added.

A highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of the first of two prestigious Governor General’s Academic medals, awarded to the graduating student who achieved the highest overall grade-point average from a diploma program.

This year’s Collegiate Bronze medal recipient was Clarysse Go, who achieved a 98% average in the Business – International Business program. A native of Cebu City, Philippines, Go began her career as a Medical Technologist in her home country. After working in the field for two years, she had a change of heart and dreamed about returning to school – this time in Canada – to chart a new career course.

“After months of soul searching, I happened upon an article about studying abroad, specifically in Canada,” said Go speaking to her fellow graduates on June 12.

“And now I’m here, two years later, receiving this award. All the planning, sacrifice, and hard work have been more than worth it. And I am truly so, so grateful because I know I would not have been able to get this far on my own,” she added, referencing her support circle of family, friends, classmates, professors and her boyfriend, Shareef, who is a double NC grad.

“And to all of you, my fellow graduates, congratulations! This is your victory, the world is your oyster – or whatever else you want it to be! Thank you, and mabuhay!”

Go also received the Dean’s Award for the School of Business and Management for achieving the top grade in her school of study. Throughout the week, seven other graduating students will also be presented with Dean’s awards for scoring the highest GPA within their respective schools of study.

On June 13 (10 a.m. ceremony), the College will also celebrate Governor General’s Academic Medal recipient Cassidy Baldwin, for her outstanding academic performance in the four-year Honours Bachelor of Business Administration – Hospitality program. Baldwin will be presented with a Silver Governor General’s Academic Medal, marking the first time that a student from NC is being awarded a Governor General’s Academic Medal at the Silver level for a degree program.

As the week continues, NC will also bestow special honours to Niagara Health President and CEO Lynn Guerriero, who will be presented with an Honorary Diploma in Health Studies on the morning of June 14 (10 a.m. ceremony), and Amy Audibert (Broadcasting – Radio, TV and Film Class of 2012), on-air broadcaster for the NBA’s Miami Heat, who will receive a Distinguished Alumni Award on June 15 (10 a.m. ceremony).

By the time the College concludes its convocation week on June 16 – each ceremony honouring graduating students from different areas of study – NC will gain 4,500 new graduates. After kicking off convocation on June 12, ceremonies will be held at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily from June 13 to June 15 and will conclude with a final morning ceremony on June 16.

To view the schedule and list of programs graduating within each School, visit the ‘Ceremony Schedule’ section of NC’s Convocation website.

NC’s in-person Spring Convocation ceremonies are also being livestreamed from the Welland Campus. Visit the convocation website at niagaracollege.ca/convocation to watch. Ceremonies will remain on the site for later viewing.

Niagara College has a full-time enrolment of more than 10,000 students from over 95 countries, who study in 130 diploma, certificate and bachelor degree programs at specialized campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Niagara College is also involved in educational projects and partnerships around the world and is consistently ranked among Canada’s top 10 colleges for research funding. Learn more at niagaracollege.ca.