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TRU Williams Lake celebrates 2024 graduates

A commencement ceremony was held Friday, May 31

Graduates of Thompson University Williams Lake Campus celebrated a commencement ceremony Friday, May 31.

The ceremony began with a procession of drummers leading the faculty and grads into the Williams Lake campus gymnasium where family and community members were waiting to cheer for the grads as they accepted certificates, diplomas and degrees.

Students were graduating from the faculty of arts, faculty of education and social work, school of nursing, faculty of science and school of trades and technology.

“Remember who you are,” said valedictorian Whitney Alphonse-Manual, who graduated with an Indigenous Studies Certificate and a General Studies Diploma as she addressed the graduates. “It’s not only you, it’s all those who support you.”

Alphonse-Manual said she hails from both Kamloops and Williams Lake, and thanked everyone who has shown up again and again to offer support and unwavering encouragement.

“I hold my hands up to you all,” she said.

Williams Lake First Nation Chief Willie Sellars welcomed everyone and said education about where people come from is most important in the journey toward reconciliation.

“These graduates are an honour to our families and our ancestors as they become such a massive success story,” Sellars said. “I am proud of the network of support - the families and teachers - and honoured to be here.”

Esk’et elder Irvine Johnson, who gave a blessing, thanked the Creator for being there at the ceremony.

“Let’s make this a send-off into the future,” he said, as he reminded the graduates the day was a beginning.

Smiling said he was his class valedictorian in 1965.

DeDe DeRose, appointed chancellor of TRU in February, said she was standing in the place where her mom, Cecilia Dick De Rose taught Secwépemc language classes.

Cecilia will be receiving an honorary degree from TRU in June and was invited to stand with DeDe to give a welcoming to the TRU Williams Lake grads, which she did in Secwépemc.

TRU president and vice-chancellor Brett Fairbirn thanked Sellars and Johnson for starting the event off in a good way.

Fairbirn said there are 134 students in Williams Lake who completed requirements for graduation and 60 were present for the convocation Friday.

“I can only imagine the different ways you helped each other to get to today,” he told the grads. “I don’t mean in anyway to diminish your accomplishments as individuals, but to remind you that getting into university is harder than you often think and it isn’t just about you, you all get help along the way.”

He also reminded the grads how each of them are an example to others.

“Your accomplishments and achievements will be very meaningful and inspire other people,” Fairbirn said.

Baldev Pooni, dean of trades and TRU Williams Lake congratulated the grads for investing in themselves.

“Do maintain contact and let us know how you are doing,” he said and thanked them for having faith in TRU in Williams Lake.



Monica Lamb-Yorski

About the Author: Monica Lamb-Yorski

A B.C. gal, I was born in Alert Bay, raised in Nelson, graduated from the University of Winnipeg, and wrote my first-ever article for the Prince Rupert Daily News.
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