Tears and cheers make for an emotional return to the in-person event
This May marked an unexpected milestone for NAIT: its first in-person convocation ceremony since the onset of the pandemic in spring 2020.
As could be expected, it was a celebration marked by cheers of jubilation and tears of joy, much hugging, and beaming smiles from approximately 1,800 students (of 6,587 that graduated from programs across the polytechnic) who crossed the stage at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium on May 5, 6 and 7.
“I had the pleasure of being the MC for all the ceremonies,” says Peter Leclaire, NAIT’s vice-president academic.
"A journey had come to an end in a moment of recognition and celebration of effort, commitment and persistence.”
“[At the first], on Thursday afternoon, I caught a glimpse of a young woman in the front row who had a tear rolling down her cheek. There was no sadness in her eyes – it was a look of elation. I could only imagine what was going through her mind. A journey had come to an end in a moment of recognition and celebration of effort, commitment and persistence.”
Here’s a look at similar moments that marked the end of one journey and the beginning of another.
