At spring convocation on June 11, 12 and 13, Concordia's president Alan Shepard joined honorands and valedictorians in offering his best wishes to the class of 2018.
“In the midst of our celebrations, I want to ensure that we remember those who are less fortunate than us. Those who do not have the advantages of a university education. Those who are affected by war, by poverty and by extremism,” Shepard said to the university’s newest graduates.
“Education continues to be a powerful antidote to the world’s problems. It builds understanding and binds us together. Education makes hope possible. Félicitation encore, bonne chance et à la prochaine.”
'Continue to discover what is useful to you'
Eight valedictorians also provided sage advice in their convocation adresses.
Emma Alguire, one of two John Molson School of Business valedictorians, advised her fellow graduates to create their own opportunities for growth.
She pointed out that the process of learning does not end with the completion of a university degree.
“Our careers will not be made by climbing linear ladders, but rather by zigzagging and exploring different things,” Alguire said.
“Seek value in every job, every task that comes across your desk, and treat what seems like even the most insignificant thing as an opportunity to learn something new.”
In her speech, Faculty of Fine Arts valedictorian Sophie-Thérèse Stone-Richards spoke about her decision to study theatre after completing a degree in pure math.
“I loved math but the stuff math is used for in the business world didn’t interest me, so I moved on,” she said.
Stone-Richards recounted one particular moment when she told someone she already had a math degree. They asked her why she was studying fine arts when she was already skilled at something useful.
“How do we define what is useful? It is ours to define and it should be ours to define. None of us is one thing, and we are each and all contributing — when we can and how we can — to human consciousness,” Stone-Richards said.
“Continue to discover and expand what is useful to you, what makes sense to you and — lest we forget it — what excites you.”
Watch all the spring 2018 valedictory addresses.