The act of graduating has long been considered a rite of passage, inspiring graduates to reflect on where they’ve been, where they are now, and where they want to go.
Doing so can be overwhelming, especially if your path forward appears blurry or the future seems so wide open that you don’t know which path to choose.
To ease this transition, Dusya Vera, PhD ’02, Executive Director of Ivey’s Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership, encouraged some of Western University’s newest graduates to consider one more important point of reflection: who they are. Citing U.S. civil rights leader Howard Thurman’s famous quote on the importance of pursuing what makes us feel alive, Vera said self-awareness is a guiding force in life.
“I trust that your university years have helped you to develop a deeper and clearer understanding of who you are as a person – your strengths, weaknesses, and knowing how others see you. Ensuring that you maintain an accurate self-awareness will be an ongoing journey through your life,” she said. “In this changing world, while it will be important that you continue working on what you know – your competencies or skills – it is critically important that you give time, attention, and energy into constantly developing who you are – your character.”
Vera was the faculty speaker at Western University’s fall convocation ceremony on October 25, which included 301 Ivey graduates from the HBA, MSc, MBA, Master of Management in Analytics (MM-A), Executive MBA (EMBA), and PhD programs. Ivey’s graduates later participated in a separate Ivey Pledge Ceremony and awards events with addresses from the class valedictorians: Kevin Bedi (MM-A), Caleb Piche-LarRocque (MSc), and Adam Winn (EMBA)*.
Commit to lifelong learning and developing your character muscle
Encouraging the graduates to use the “brain training,” or critical thinking, they developed during their time at Western and Ivey, Vera said the skill of learning how to learn will guide their paths.
“What life has taught me is that there are two purposes of life. The first is that we are here on a journey of learning … who we are and what we believe … Our beliefs have destinations and being aware of our beliefs and our character helps us to more effectively reach those destinations,” she said. “And, second, we are here to help each other because, more than competition, what we need is cooperation.”
Her advice to the graduates included eight ways to shape your character:
- Developing a sense of purpose and considering what impact you want to have;
- Reflecting on your measure of success and remembering that success can be about leaving a place better than you found it;
- Being patient with yourself and others;
- Building the courage to stand up for what you believe in or to admit that you made a mistake;
- Prioritizing compassion and empathy in organizations;
- Being authentic by aligning what you think, say, and do;
- Showing gratitude and appreciation toward others; and,
- Seeking joy on the journey.
Noting that their post-graduation careers will test their resilience time and time again, she urged the graduates to remember that these trials – the path of learning and growing – are an important part of developing who they are.
She noted the example of her generation’s hero, actor Christopher Reeve, who is known for portraying comic book hero Superman and for his tremendous resilience when he became paralyzed at age 42. Sharing that Reeve defined heroes as “ordinary individuals who persevere in the face of overwhelming obstacles,” she encouraged the graduates to embrace life’s challenges because they build our resilience, determination, patience, and sense of hope.
“We can all be heroes – for ourselves and for others. Life will constantly test us, so that we continue learning and growing and stretching ourselves – perhaps to levels we never imagined,” she said.
Embracing growth opportunities
Vera’s message was particularly fitting given that many of Ivey’s graduates have already begun embracing growth opportunities, such as the chance to broaden their perspectives by immersing themselves in new cultures and environments around the world. Among Ivey’s graduates were 33 recipients of an additional Global and Intercultural Engagement Honour (GIEH) certificate, recognizing that they are global-ready. In addition to going on exchange to other countries, the recipients completed special courses, intercultural engagement and training, and language proficiency to receive the certificate.
In a separate interview after the ceremony, Alan Guan and Keenan Mendonca, both HBA graduates and GIEH recipients, shared how their exchange experiences and GIEH journeys built their adaptability, resilience, and understanding of humanity’s global interconnectedness. Guan completed an exchange at NEOMA Business School in Rouen, France, and Mendonca was on exchange at Bayes Business School in London, U.K.
“The Global and Intercultural Engagement Honour represents my journey toward becoming a more culturally aware and global-minded individual,” said Guan. “From the importance of work-life balance to the way people approach communication and collaboration, I encountered perspectives that were both fascinating and challenging. These differences highlighted the importance of understanding diverse cultural contexts, especially in business.”
Mendonca also highlighted the importance of embracing new cultures and perspectives because it’s key to understanding our shared humanity.
“This pursuit is not just about connecting with those who are convenient; it’s about reaching out to everyone, especially those who might need support. I believe that meaningful connections can drive positive change,” he said. “Attaining this honour is a monumental step towards becoming a global leader who understands and uplifts others. I am excited to continue this journey and make a real impact in the lives of those I meet along the way.”
Ivey's GIEH recipients (above)
Congratulations to Ivey's graduates and award recipients
Congratulations to the 148 HBAs, 51 EMBAs, 50 MM-As, 31 MScs, 11 MBAs, nine PhDs, and one MSc Graduate Diploma in Business and Sustainability participant who graduated at fall convocation and are now part of the Ivey Alumni Network. And a special congratulations to the gold medalist and GIEH recipients (list below):
- Aqeel Awadia (MM-A Gold Medalist); and,
- Shane Bachman, Prerna Balani, Jessica Bian, Olivia Carlton, Brandon Chang, Emma Chow, Duomi Ding, Mairi Dinnin, Derek Gartshore, Ariana Ghavami, Julia Gille, Madelynn Griffiths, Alan Guan, Nizar Hammour, Jacky Huang, Katia Humber, Riley Hummel-Kusins, Nicole Kelly, Jisu Kim, Anand Kukreja, Mateo Larrazabal, Yiru (Avrilyn) Li, Keenan Mendonca, Jessica Roman, Carson Rust, Amir Shams-Ansari, Rachel Wang, Yiren (Sophia) Wei, Maggie Xiao Qi Chen, Andy Yang, Andrii Yatsura, Jasmine Yu, and Qian (Nancy) Zhao (GIEH recipients).
*HBA and MBA had valedictorian speeches at the 2024 spring convocation and no additional valedictorian for fall convocation.
Photos below by Rachel Lincoln Photography
Heading back to Ivey after the ceremony
Taking the Ivey Pledge
Sharing the big moment with friends and family
Way to go!
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