440 Assiniboine grads mark big day

More than 400 diplomas were handed out to students dressed in black robes and mortarboards at Assiniboine College’s fall graduation ceremony.

A total of 440 students from 37 certificate, diploma and post-graduate programs celebrated their accomplishments with family, friends and faculty at the Keystone Centre on Thursday afternoon.

“This moment is not only the conclusion of your programs, but also the recognition of the effort, persistence, resilience that brought us here,” valedictorian Jaskomalveer Kaur told the crowd of about 1,000 people.

Kaur, who graduated with an advanced diploma in agriculture, said even though people have graduated from different programs that had their own challenges, “the determination required was the same.”

Other students graduated in programs related to health care, policing, education and trades.

“Our education here was never just about textbooks and lectures. It was about application, learning to take pain and turn it into practice,” Kaur said.

“It prepared us not only to succeed in our fields, but to adapt to a world that is constantly evolving along the way.”

Assiniboine College president Mark Frisson told graduates that while the use of artificial intelligence in the workforce continues to rise, he’s confident they will be “just fine.”

He acknowledged some students might be worried that the fields they graduated in might not continue to offer jobs in the near future. But, he added, they have something that sets them apart.

“In my mind, there’s nothing more important than having a job in the future than having a job in the present,” Frisson said. “The program is difficult to help you ensure that you have a job. So I want to offer you that reassurance that what you’ve done will serve you well.”

NDP MLA Jelynn Dela Cruz told graduates that although one chapter of their lives is ending, a new one is beginning.

“You are exactly what our province and our communities need. You are the builders, the caregivers, the innovators and the leaders of not just tomorrow, but today, in this very moment,” Dela Cruz said.

Advanced Education and Training Minister Renée Cable was scheduled to be part of the ceremony, according to the program, but Dela Cruz (Radisson) was there instead.

Kaur said Assiniboine College has created new friendships and taught many lessons for graduates.

“Today, as we celebrate, let us be proud, not only of the diplomas that we are receiving, but of the journey that took us here, proud of the individual challenges we overcome, the friendships we formed and community we created together,” she said.

“We step out of these halls with curiosity in our minds, resilience in our hearts and confidence to turn the promise of tomorrow into reality.”

» alambert@brandonsun.com