York University’s Convocation ceremony is unlike any other. There is something special about walking into the Convocation pavilion and seeing our graduates seated on the stage, proudly facing their families and friends at what is for many the pinnacle of their university careers. As I mentioned in my Convocation address (PDF), each ceremony that I participate in renews my pride in this institution and my appreciation for the high public purpose of the university.

As I noted in a blog post last month, Convocation is an important opportunity to recognize the many individuals within our community whose contributions make a difference. Every year, we celebrate graduating students as well as faculty members who have excelled in teaching or learning or in community engagement, and we also welcome new members of the York U family through the conferral of honorary degrees.

This year, thirteen honorary degree recipients shared career advice, moral counsel, stories of personal difficulty and inspiring anecdotes with our graduates. I was interested to note that their addresses shared many common themes.

In his address to Glendon’s graduating class on the final day of spring Convocation, distinguished Canadian public servant Kevin Lynch offered an excellent consolidation of these themes. He spoke of this “time of global transformation” and of the “mixture of hope and angst felt around the world” at this time. Like other honorary degree recipients, he also commented on the unique and important role that our graduates will play in shaping the future, encouraging them to be engaged with public life in order to make positive change: “Canada needs you,” he said, “it needs your energy, it needs your enthusiasm, it needs your ideas.” I couldn't agree more, and our Convocation ceremonies provided the perfect way to send our graduates off to do just that.