More than 6,000 new graduates were recognized at Conestoga’s fall convocation ceremonies from October 30 to November 4. The event, held at Bingemans in Kitchener, was a culmination of hard work, passion and commitment in celebration of academic achievements.
“Across the community and around the world, Conestoga graduates are known for their talent, drive and entrepreneurial spirit,” said Conestoga President John Tibbits. “It is an honour to recognize the achievements of our newest graduates who will use their skills and knowledge to solve some of the greatest challenges we face and make a difference.”
The week-long celebration marked the college’s first in-person convocation ceremonies since February 2020. More than 3,500 graduates from the classes of 2020 and 2021 who attended virtual convocation celebrations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic also crossed the stage during the week. Class of 2022 graduates who participated in virtual convocations earlier this year will be invited to cross the stage at in-person ceremonies in February.
In conjunction with the celebration, the Conestoga community also recognized several college-wide achievements:
The Mastercraft Award was presented to Sean Berkvens and Graeme Judge, graduates of the Bachelor of Engineering - Electronic Systems Engineering program. The award recognizes student achievement in program-related technical skills as demonstrated at the college’s annual Tech Showcase. For their winning project, the team built a health monitoring smartwatch to observe blood oxygen levels and heart rate, with Bluetooth capability to communicate with an android mobile phone application to plot readings and display warnings.
Bohdana Tyshchenko, an IT Innovation and Design graduate, was presented with the President’s Award of Excellence in Student Leadership. The award recognizes a student who has demonstrated positive leadership through their contributions to the program, the college or the community and has supported students and the development of future student leaders. A young woman in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and an international student, Tyshchenko blazes her own path while advocating for the success and well-being of others in the communities she represents and serves. Among her accomplishments as a student, Tyshchenko was instrumental in developing a program with her co-op employer to recruit and hire Ukrainian refugees; was a founding leader of the Conestoga Developer Student Club, advocating for young women in STEM; and supported new students as a volunteer with the college’s Leadership and Ambassador program.
The Governor General’s Academic Medal was presented to Hailey Brodie, a graduate of the Early Childhood Education program. The award recognizes the graduating student who achieves the highest academic grade average for all courses in a diploma program.
Omotese Ekpen Ogbe, a graduate of the Bachelor of Applied Health Information Science (Honours) program, was presented with the President’s Scholar Award. The award recognizes a graduating student of a four-year degree program who achieves the highest academic grade average for all courses in the program.
For more information, including past award recipients, visit the convocation web page.
Conestoga’s alumni network is over 170,000 strong, with graduates from across the region and around the world using their knowledge and skills to launch successful careers, make meaningful contributions to workplaces, and build stronger, more prosperous communities.