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After processing into the arena, graduates were welcomed and congratulated by university leaders, including Chancellor Shelagh Rogers, Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane, and Rector Niki Boytchuk-Hale, who together preside over Queen’s convocation ceremonies.

These three each offered words of wisdom and inspiration to the graduates in a series of speeches.

Chancellor Rogers urged graduates to meet the challenges posed by the rise of artificial intelligence by harnessing their unique human capabilities.

“I think humans have it all over bots because humans have very specific superpowers, and, graduates, you are proof,” said Chancellor Rogers in her address. “Curiosity is a superpower. It’s the fire of the mind. And passion, the fire of the heart. Your passion for what you’re curious about is part of what led you to this day. You worked so hard and so creatively to achieve another superpower – that of critical thinking. Use your human superpowers to do what may at first seem impossible. Transcend the status quo, and transform it. Be nimble, agile, and creative.”

Principal Deane then addressed the graduates and urged them to appreciate the traditions they’re a part of while also keeping their eyes fixed on the future.

“You are graduating in a ceremony steeped in history and surrounded by people who have contributed to that history by taking on the intellectual and social agency that you in turn must take on today,” said Deane in his remarks. “It is important to feel and value your kinship with the past and the shared values and mission of this university. But it is equally important to question that inheritance. Your orientation must be to the future, your focus on actively building the kind of consensus, locally and globally, that underwrites and advances both the kind of society you would like to inhabit, and the physical environment in which that society can prosper in harmony with—and not at the expense of—nature.”

Rector Boytchuk-Hale congratulated the graduates on their achievements and also called attention to the friends, family members, and supporters who have made their success possible.

“Let’s not ever forget the people who got us to this moment and degree,” said Rector Boytchuk-Hale. “Family, friends, mentors, and supporters. The classmates turned housemates that filled your time at Queen’s with memories for a lifetime. And the people who picked up your calls at all hours to listen and offer encouragement. They were right: you could get through it.”

After the speeches, Chancellor Rogers officially conferred degrees upon the graduates, and they began to cross the stage to shake hands with the university’s top leaders. Graduates at Tuesday’s ceremony had completed programs in Faculty of Arts and Science, Queen’s Health Sciences, and the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs.

Indigenous graduates received either a Blackfoot Peoples Mountain Blanket or a feather fan as a gift from the university when they crossed the stage to help them recognize their culture as they celebrated their academic achievements.

Queen’s also conferred an honorary degree on Nancy Olewiler, a distinguished economist who has made significant contributions to the fields of natural resource and environmental economics. Dr. Olewiler was a faculty member in the Department of Economics at Queen’s before moving to Simon Fraser University, where she is a professor emerita. She is one of five honorary degree recipients this spring.

Thousands of supporters were at Slush Puppie Place to cheer on the graduates and celebrate their accomplishments.

Celebrations continued after the ceremony wrapped up, as graduates took time to enjoy the moment with each other and their guests.

Convocation ceremonies continue throughout the week, with the last ceremony taking place June 27, and they can all be watched through a .