Lambton College's 57th annual convocation ceremony will be the largest in the school's history.
In fact, they've had to split it into three sessions in order to accommodate the nearly 2,700 graduating students.
Starting at 1 p.m. Tuesday, students from the Fire Sciences, Nursing and Health and Community Services programs will cross the stage.
At 10 a.m. Wednesday, Applied Science, Engineering, Technology & Trades, and Online Education students will be honoured. Then, at 3 p.m., they'll recognize those in Business, Information Technology and English and Liberal Studies.
College President and CEO Rob Kardas is always thrilled for the students during convocation.
"To know that it's going to be the biggest group ever is very gratifying and really important," said Kardas. "It just speaks to Lambton College's great reputation locally, regionally, and globally of course. This is the day we live for at Lambton College, and it's the day where it all comes together. Obviously, for our students and their families it's a really special day. We're looking forward to celebrating with them."
Kardas said faculty members will give keynote speeches at each of the ceremonies.
He was asked whether Ontario's pending cap on international student admissions is expected to have an impact on graduation numbers moving forward.
Federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller previously said the cap will cut the number of approved study permits to 364,000 in 2024, representing a 35 per cent decrease from 2023.
"I think the caps, short term, may impact our Sarnia enrollment slightly but not significantly," said Kardas. "It's going to have more of an impact on our private/public partnerships in the short term. I don't know yet what the cap is going to look like beyond the 2024-25 school year. So, as that cap gets adjusted, it could mean lesser enrollment at Lambton in Sarnia which might mean lesser convocation ceremonies. It's just something we'll have to assess... it's not completely knowable at this point."
Kardas said four students will be honoured with special awards.
The Governor General’s Academic Medal Award will be presented to Kristine Donnelly from the Office Administration - Health Services program. It honours the student who graduates with the highest standing in her or his institution.
Both Manisha Bhandari (2023 spring recipient), and Amruta Prathamesh Pawar (2024 winter recipient), are getting the Alumni Association Leadership Award. This recognizes students who exhibit leadership abilities, commitment, are involved in extracurricular activities, and contributes to the college and the community.
The Board of Governors Award was won by Noodin Miskokomon. It honours a student who demonstrates academic achievement, is involved in extracurricular and leadership activities, and contributes to the college and the community.
Meanwhile, this year’s keynote address will be presented by Rob Ellis who is the founder and president of MySafe Work.
He'll speak to the graduates during Wednesday morning's ceremony.
Ellis became an outspoken advocate for health, safety and wellness in the workplace after the death of his son David in 1999. Rob is a former business owner who believes by partnering with industry leaders to promote positive change, a cultural shift will take place in our communities.
His goal is to help increase the importance of health, safety, and wellness for all workers.
The entire ceremony can be viewed via livestream, at www.lambtoncollege.ca the day of the event.
