Nearly 750 newly minted Yorkville University alumni converged in New Brunswick recently to walk the stage and toss their caps at the Fredericton Convention Centre in celebration of their graduation.
Degrees were conferred over the course of three separate ceremonies on June 4 and 5 to Class of 2024 and 2025 graduates from Yorkville’s Doctor of Counselling and Psychotherapy, Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology, Master of Education, and Bachelor of Business Administration programs.
Opening Comments
In her opening remarks to graduates, Yorkville President and Vice Chancellor Dr. Julia Christensen Hughes lauded all those present – both those assembled in the Pointe Sainte Anne Ballroom and those tuning in virtually from all around the world – for all the tireless hard work they put in to reaching this, their graduation day.
“Today is a testament to the power – the transformative power – of a Yorkville University education. You have embarked on a remarkable journey of growth and learning,” she said.
“You have been courageous in taking this step to engage in a process of transforming your lives, and now you have emerged as graduates equipped with the knowledge, skills and experiences that will no doubt propel you forward in both your careers and your personal lives.”
Christensen Hughes also took the time to acknowledge the more than 2,000 graduates who were not able to make the trip to Fredericton, many of whom were watching the event’s livestream.
“We know, with students from across the country – and, in fact, from every province and territory in Canada – as well as many other countries, not everyone could join us in person here today,” she said. “But we’re so glad that you’ve joined us virtually with your friends and your family and that you can still be a meaningful part of today’s ceremony.”
Also on hand at the ceremony was Dr. Michelle Grimes, Yorkville’s Vice President, Academic and Campus Principal, New Brunswick.
Grimes lead the university its continuing tradition of gifting Indigenous graduates with traditional blankets from the Boy Chief Trading Post – an Indigenous-owned and operated retail company located in the Siksika Nation Reservejust east of Calgary.
“We recognize our Indigenous students graduating today with a chief blanket,” she said.
“This gift to our students marks just one of the many ways that we seek to strengthen our relationship with Indigenous peoples and ensure that we are fostering inclusive communities.”
Distinguished Convocation Speaker Dr. Dana Brown
Joining Christensen Hughes and Grimes wishing this year’s Yorkville’s graduates well was Dr. Dana Brown, who attended the celebrations as this year’s Distinguished Convocation Speaker. A global lecturer, consultant, executive coach, and non-profit board chair, Brown supported Yorkville University as Interim Provost from 2024 to earlier this year, and now serves as a Special Academic Advisor.
In her address, she revisited her own educational journey – whose highlights include a Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University, a Master’s from Oxford, and a PhD from MIT – and the many lessons she learned along the way.
Like many of the graduates sitting in front of her, Brown said, she invested in her education as a means of changing her path in life. Having grown up in a small community where post-secondary education was rare and graduate school was completely unheard of, Brown came to realize, with the encouragement of her mentors, that education was a means of opening up “a new world of possibilities” in her life.
“I started at the age of 17 without any support from my school and relentlessly studied for the SAT exam…With a high score on that test overriding the fact that I’d attended a very underperforming high school, I was admitted to a state university,” she recalled.
“I studied hard while working late nights, waiting tables, and I earned my undergraduate degree. And that led to opportunities I’ve never imagined: I’ve traveled around the world to more than 70 countries. I’ve learned new ways of thinking. I’ve met amazing people on my journey. I won a Rhodes Scholarship, and eventually I got a PhD.”
Those milestones changed Brown’s life as much as they changed her as a person – revealing to her all that becomes possible when barriers are removed and potential is nurtured.
“I realized that education is not just a ladder, it’s a lever – and I’ve spent my life and my career trying to ensure that others can access it, too,” she said.
“That’s why, when I look at all of you today, I feel so proud of you. I don’t see statistics or graduates on a list. I see stories. I see transformation. I see what happens when education becomes not just a privilege for the few, but a power that’s shared among many.”
In her parting words, Brown left graduates with three reflections to think about as they close this chapter of their lives and move on to the next:
– First, honor your story. Don’t downplay the complexity of how you got here. Your path wasn’t easy, and that makes your perspective invaluable. Your lived experience is part of your professional toolkit. Bring it with you.
– Secondly, stay intellectually alive. A degree is not the end of your learning, it’s the beginning of a deeper practice. Your future clients and students will push you to think harder, listen more carefully, and keep evolving. Let that be a gift, not a burden.
– Third, lift others. Mentor someone. Encourage someone. Open a door, be the person that you once needed. In a world that rewards individual achievement, remember that real success is collective.
“Graduates, you now carry a degree, a title, but more importantly, you carry a responsibility to lead with knowledge, to serve with empathy, and to live the values that brought you here in the first place. And I have no doubt that all of you will do all of those things,” Brown said.
“Congratulations. This country and the world are better because of the work that you are now stepping into the world to do.”
Student Graduation Speaker Hetti-Marie Manu (MED)
“There is a strength within you that only the challenges of life can unlock.”
That was the crux of Hetti-Marie Manu’s message to her fellow Master of Education in Educational Leadership grads – words of truth she learned not just from her own personal experience, but from those of her immigrant parents, as well.
“It’s the same message my mother discovered when she left the warm sun of Antigua at 21 to move to Saskatoon in February, and quickly realized she probably should’ve packed a coat. It’s the same message my father discovered when he left Ghana to come to Toronto not knowing not a soul, so he grabbed the phone book, found someone with a familiar last name, who spoke his language and who took him around the city,” she said.
“Two explorers. Two leaders. Two people who didn’t know that their stories of unlocking inner fortitude would be the blueprint for their children, their grandchildren and generations yet to come.”
From her parents’ inspiring stories, Manu took away the conviction she could accomplish anything she set her mind to. From becoming a teacher, to getting married, to releasing an album and moving to Nashville, to pausing her music career to raise three beautiful children, to going through a divorce, to eventually returning to Toronto to rebuild her life as a single parent – Manu encountered several barriers in her journey to becoming Yorkville’s MED Student Graduation Speaker, but overcame them all.
“I wanted to give up, but I didn’t. I took courses and studied for years to become an Administrator…” she said, thanking her husband and best friend, Kevin, for his support along the way.
“This Master’s in Educational Leadership isn’t just a degree – it is proof that there is a supply of strength living quietly within, waiting in reserve to respond to your next big challenge,” she told her classmates.
“So, whatever lies ahead, lead with curiosity, with courage, and with the hard-earned strength that brought you this far.”
Student Graduation Speaker Baneh Biltaji (MACP)
Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology Student Graduation Speaker Baneh Biltaji kicked off her address by congratulating her classmates for beating the odds.
While for many, ‘asynchronous studies’ is a term most often associated with flexibility, Biltaji said people often forget that it can also necessitate a juggling act of sorts, between career, family obligations and schoolwork, not to mention the early mornings and late nights that that balancing act often requires.
“Fellow graduates, when I look at you, I see a picture of determination. I see bright eyes that were once worn from long nights of reading. I see parents who juggled children and academia. I see people who have navigated clashing time zones. And I see the resilience it takes to reach for your wildest dreams,” she said.
“Against these odds, here you are today. Each one of you dedicated your time and effort to learning how to best care for others. Witnessing our journeys to becoming counsellors is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever had the honour of experiencing.”
Looking out at her fellow graduates, Biltaji marvelled at how Yorkville was able to bring together so many people, from so many different backgrounds, who all “dared to give it a go” despite the odds.
“We did it together!” she reminded them. “Without sounding too much like a counsellor, I invite you to savour this feeling and take a moment and just feel every glorious emotion. In the future, when hard times pop up, remember the moment you’re experiencing right now. Remember your accomplishments, remember the journey – and remember that you have this community.”
Student Graduation Speaker Fr. Pishoy Wasfy (DCP)
For Fr. Pishoy Samy Wasfy, who represented his classmates as the Doctor of Counselling & Psychotherapy program’s Student Graduation Speaker, the Yorkville experience was more than academic, it was transformational – a journey he thanked not only his professors, but also his peers for accompanying him on.
“From the very beginning, what stood out to me wasn’t just the academic structure of the (DCP) program, but the people, the community. I was struck by the sincere care and dedication of our professors, supervisors, and program directors,” he said, praising them for their compassion, commitment to creating an environment where students felt seen, valued and supported.
“And then there were all of you, my peers. I’ve had the privilege of witnessing your professionalism, your eagerness to learn, and your deep respect for one another. Whether it was through group discussions, case studies, or informal chats in online forums, what shone through was your humility and your genuine camaraderie. You weren’t here to compete, you were here to grow, and to help others grow alongside you.”
Like many of the classmates he addressed during convocation, Wasfy said he came to Yorkville already serving in a helping profession, but fueled by a desire to go deeper, and to understand, to grow and to ultimately give back more.
In his closing words to his fellow grads, Wasfy urged all to carry on the lessons they learned during their time at Yorkville – not only from textbooks and lectures, but from each other.
“May we lead with empathy, serve with integrity, and always remember that transformation begins in relationship,” he said.
“And as we each step into new roles, new challenges, and new opportunities, let us remain anchored in the values that brought us here: compassion, curiosity, and the courage to care deeply.
“Our world is in need of healers, helpers, and hope-bringers. Let us go forward and be those people.”
Closing Remarks & Cap Toss
In her closing remarks, Christensen Hughes took the opportunity to reflect on how emotional and moving everyone’s words about “resilience, inner strength, and the desire to make a positive impact on society” had been throughout the course of the celebrations
“I know that empathy is hard won. It comes through experience, it comes through disappointments, and when we’ve rallied the inner strength to overcome, it is then that we are best positioned to served others,” she said.
“One of the things I’m really proud of is some pillars of Yorkville’s program – business, education, mental health – all pillars of a positive, thriving society. We are committed to teaching about sustainability and social justice throughout all of our programs, and Canada needs you. So, thank you for all you are undoubtedly about to achieve.”
Then, asking then graduates in attendance to rise, Christensen Hughes instructed all to, on the count of three, toss their caps in the air and “let out a primal scream of either joy, sheer relief, or some combination of the two.”
“Graduates, are we ready? One, two, three!”
