New graduates will be honoured at Conestoga’s fall convocation ceremonies from October 21-24, held at Bingemans Conference Centre in Kitchener. The event is a culmination of hard work, passion and commitment in celebration of academic achievements.
The college’s newest graduates are part of a dynamic network of more than 225,000 alumni from across the region and around the world, using their knowledge and skills to launch successful careers and impact their industries and communities.
As part of the week’s ceremonies, the Conestoga community will also recognize those who have been chosen to receive the college’s awards for excellence.
Sophia Pavao, a graduate of the Civil Engineering Technology advanced diploma program, will receive the President’s Award of Excellence in Student Leadership. The award is presented to a graduate in recognition of their outstanding contributions as a student, exemplifying excellence in leadership by the positive impact they have had on their program, the college and their community.
Throughout her time at Conestoga, Pavao exemplified the highest standards of leadership, personal integrity and community spirit. As an executive of the OACETT Student Chapter, she played a key role in revitalizing the group by fostering inclusivity, promoting professional development and strengthening student-industry connections. Pavao’s commitment extended to inspiring the next generation through Go ENG Girl at Conestoga, where she led engaging workshops for young girls, sparking interest and confidence in engineering. As a senior student and surveying assistant, Pavao provided invaluable mentorship and academic support to her peers, creating a welcoming and encouraging environment.
The Mastercraft Award in Engineering & Technology will be awarded to Noah Grant, Brandon Hauck and Wyatt Richard from the Bachelor of Engineering - Electronics Systems Engineering program. The award recognizes student achievement in program-related technical skills in applied computer science and IT, as well as engineering and technology, as demonstrated at the college’s Tech Showcase.
For their winning project, the team created a solution for car owners to secure vehicles with proximity-based two-factor authentication. The system includes an autonomous key security and on-board diagnostics blocker to provide real-time alerts and manual override through a mobile application.
The Mastercraft Award in Applied Computer Science & Information Technology (IT) will be presented to Christy John, Jeson Nehru, Akash Shiji, Saran Soni and Simi Thalakkodan Yohannan from the Virtualization and Cloud Computing program.
For their winning project, the team developed a wildfire detection system. The low-cost IoT-based system uses temperature, humidity, gas, flames and GPS sensors to provide real-time fire alerts via the cloud, delivering instant notifications to authorities and the public to enable faster response and reduced damage.
The Governor General Academic Silver Medal is presented to the graduating student with the highest academic average for all courses in an undergraduate bachelor’s degree program. The fall 2025 recipient is Wyatt Richard from the Bachelor of Engineering - Electronics Systems Engineering program.
The Governor General Academic Bronze Medal is presented to the graduating student with the highest academic average for all courses in a diploma program. The fall 2025 recipient is Emma Osborne from the Library and Information Technician program.
All ceremonies will be live-streamed on CCDTV, the college’s digital TV channel, and recordings will be made available through the college’s website.
For more information, including ceremony schedules, visit the convocation web page.