Convocation
is a celebration of the most important investment we make
in our lives, the investment in education.
I am extremely proud of all of our graduates and am confident their hard work
and determination will be rewarded as they begin their careers or pursue
graduate studies. I recognize that many contribute to the investment of
education. The student, their families, their professors, the university
community and the public at large all make contributions – some large, some
small – that ultimately lead to graduation day. While the students are
justifiably in the spotlight, convocation gives us the opportunity to gather as
a community of learning and share that success.
Convocation does not signal the end of a journey. In many ways, it is just the
beginning. The graduates we celebrate with this ceremony will share their
talents and skills with their community in ways which will enrich us all. I
invite and strongly encourage them to play an active and permanent role in our
university as they move from student to alumni.
The University of Manitoba alumni family is critical to the success of the
institution and of students who are yet to arrive here to study. They act as
ambassadors, proving to prospective students, their families, and employers
that the University of Manitoba plays a vital role in the successes of
individuals and our community.
I am constantly inspired by our University of Manitoba alumni and how they have
used what they have learned on this campus to achieve personal success while making
their communities, their provinces or states, their countries and the world a
better place. Eight of our nine honorary graduates this year are University of
Manitoba alumni who have achieved great personal success and have made great
contributions to the university following graduation. They include:
Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, a Palestinian doctor and fertility expert who
was born and raised in a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip and has dedicated his
life to the search for peace in the Middle East rounds out or list of inspiring
honorary degree recipients.
While the alumni we are celebrating are an impressive group, I am confident the
class of 2011 will meet and exceed the success of the graduates that came
before them in ways we cannot possibly imagine.
They will serve as new ambassadors for our university as they make their mark
in the world. They are the next generation of alumni and benefactors who will
contribute to our university and our community. Once again, I offer my
heartfelt congratulations and wish them all the success in the world.
Sincerely,
David T. Barnard
President and Vice-Chancellor