Catherine Auld receives her masters of city planning degree in 1980 from her mother and then-U of M-Chancellor, Isabel Auld. // U of M Archives & Special Collections
What’s your fondest memory of your graduating year?
Hear from our newest grads and share your own memories!
At this time of year, we can’t help getting a little sentimental.
Convocation season brings many emotions: happiness, pride, relief, and excitement for the future – but also a tinge of nostalgia for student days gone by. As our newest grads reminisce about their final year of studies, we’re asking our alumni and UM friends to join in with their own memories.
Tell us: what’s your fondest memory of your graduating year? Share your answers in the comments below, or email alumni_answers@umanitoba.ca
To start our walk down memory lane, we asked some of our grads-to-be to share their favourite moments.
SHEA HUNT, [BSc(CompE/19]
“Between planning the Western Engineering Senior Design Competition, receiving my Iron Ring, making lasting relationships with peers and professors, and signing a contract for a job I’d only previously dreamed about, I have a lot of fond memories in my final year to be thankful for. However, if I had to choose one, it’d be the final night of Engineering Week. EngWeek exists to celebrate engineering and its traditions while having some fun in the process, including each team putting up an “art installation.” My team decided to make musical stairs in the EITC Atrium, and we started working on the setup weeks in advance. Hearing it work for the first time at around four in the morning of the final day had to be one of the greatest accomplishments in my final year.”
RILEY PROULX, [BComm(Hons.)/19]
“My favourite memory during my final year is emceeing the 3rd Annual Future of Indigenous Business Banquet at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. I gained a lot of valuable experience throughout the whole planning process, and working with some of my closest friends to plan the evening and see it become such a success is something I will always remember. I cannot wait to attend next year as a young professional.”
OYINDAMOLA ALAKA [BA(Adv.)/19]
“I think my fondest memory of my graduating year has to be when I handed in my honors thesis. Finishing my thesis was such a struggle that I dropped other duties and courses to focus on it. On the day I was meant to send it in, my final work wasn’t saving and my computer kept crashing for about 3 hours. Nothing was saving and I had to recompile my chapters and redo my references multiple times before the universe finally decided (3 computers later) that I had suffered enough for procrastinating. The day I sent it in was the day my undergraduate career was officially sealed, it was finally all over and I could official watch Netflix and use social media guilt free.”
TIMOTHY ROTH [BMus/19]
“My favourite memory was rehearsing and premiering my friend Nolan Hildebrand’s composition “HEATDEATH”. The piece was written by Nolan last summer as part of his Undergraduate Research Award, was in seven movements featuring percussion, violin, tuba and guitar. As the work addressed environmental concerns, we decided to premiere it in the Buller Greenhouse on campus! It was a lot of fun to put together and the employees at the greenhouse were amazingly supportive.”
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Alumni Answers is a community of alumni and UM friends who share memories, ideas, and opinions with one another. Every month, we pose a new question to make us ponder, laugh, or learn together and share the responses in a UM Today story. Sign up here to get next month’s question sent straight to your inbox.