By Megan McKinnon

This year, Loyalist College celebrated the achievements of 1,552 graduating students at three ceremonies during the school’s 41st convocation.
The final ceremony of Loyalist’s 41st convocation began at 10 a.m. on June 13 as faculty and graduates walked in procession into the gym to the notes from a lone bagpipe player. Graduates from the schools of media studies and computing, architecture and building sciences and continuing education were on hand to receive diplomas, certificates and awards from deans and faculty members.
Speaker: Linda Franklin, the president and CEO of Colleges Ontario, presented graduating students with an inspiring speech at Friday morning's convocation. Franklin was presented with an honourary diploma from Loyalist. Photo by Megan McKinnonTwo other ceremonies were held on Thursday for graduates. Students in the faculty of health sciences and human studies graduated during the morning ceremony, and those in the schools of biosciences, business and management studies and the centre for justice studies graduated in the afternoon.
Bill Davis, a former premier of Ontario, was the guest speaker during Thursday morning’s ceremony, and Graeme McRae, founder of Vetrepharm Animal Health and Bioniche Inc., spoke in the afternoon.
Linda Franklin, the CEO and president of Colleges Ontario was the guest speaker at Friday morning’s ceremony. She remembered her two convocations fondly.
“I think it’s a milestone in people’s lives. I remember mine like it was yesterday,” said Franklin.
The graduating class of 2008 received words of praise, encouragement and inspiration from Bob Cottrell, the chair of the board of governors, and Loyalist President Maureen Piercy.
For many students, attending the ceremony was an important finale to their time at Loyalist. There were 776 students eligible to graduate during Friday’s ceremony, however, only 353 attended.
“I wanted to come because it’s important to me,” said Steven Cotton, who was graduating with a certificate in construction and renovation techniques.
“I’m the only one from my class to show,” Cotton added.
The importance of graduating, and the convocation ceremony, for many of the students attending, could be seen by the large numbers of family and friends who filled the seats. Many had cameras in hand to capture that precise moment when the graduate received his or her diploma.
This importance wasn’t lost on the faculty, deans and speakers at convocation. Most were dressed in gowns and hoods, just as they would have been for their own graduation ceremonies years before.
“I have only one piece of advice for you,” Cottrell said to the sea of gowned graduates. “Do not wait for others to lead. I suspect you are the generation others have been waiting for.”
In her speech, Piercy pointed out the unique relationship and camaraderie that exists at Loyalist between faculty and students. As the graduates received their certificates, diplomas and awards, faculty members were on hand to greet the happy students with handshakes and hugs.
The students were also greeted by a mass of family and friends – crammed into the designated photography section – as diplomas were received. As the grads came off the stage, they often seemed like celebrities as flashes went off and names were called so a better shot could be taken.