More than 400 College of New Caledonia (CNC) students walked across the stage to accept their parchment during CNC’s convocation ceremony at the CNC Centre June 1, 2019.
Up from 300 in 2018, a record number of graduates from a diversity of programs attended the ceremony to receive certificates, diplomas and associate’s degrees.
“As a college, our reason for being is to inspire movement forward,” said CNC President Henry Reiser, in a news release. “CNC’s graduating Class of 2019 joins a cohort of more than 100,000 alumni spanning the College’s nearly 50-year history.”
This year, CNC also expanded the number of student speakers addressing the graduating class from two to four. Priyanka Balley spoke about the inspiration she discovered at CNC as an international student in the Human Resource Management program.
“At CNC, we got a chance to not just learn, but also apply our ideas and skills in the real world,” she said. “CNC has inspired us to help shape a diverse and inclusive Canada where everyone gets an equal opportunity to voice their ideas. No matter where we go from here, let us be an inspiration for others.”
Other highlights from Saturday’s ceremony included the presentation of the Governor General’s Academic Collegiate Bronze Medal to 2018 CNC practical nursing graduate Hannah Joy Vandenberg and the Lieutenant Governor’s Silver Medal to 2018 CNC Early Childhood and Learning graduate Chelsea Hann.
The Mary John Award of Excellence, which recognizes an Aboriginal CNC student who strives to emulate the legacy of Mary John Senior through service to community, was awarded to Stephanie Jack. Mary John was born in Lheidli in 1913 and grounded her work in traditional practices and principals and was a visionary who hoped for a better future.
“Graduation is a time to celebrate student success with family, friends and fellow classmates,” Reiser said. “These students have worked hard to finish their courses, and we are proud to see them cross the stage and graduate.”
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