“Grad is one of our favourite times of year at NIC. It’s a chance to celebrate all the hard work that our students have put in, all they’ve accomplished and to wish them well on the next stage of their journey, whatever that is,” said Kathleen Kuhnert, vice president, students & community engagement.
This is the second virtual graduation at NIC, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on gatherings.
The virtual grad includes congratulatory messages from the NIC community and video messages from President Lisa Domae and BC Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training Anne Kang.
It also includes a full list of students who have completed their programs in the last year and, new this year, a virtual processional of grads by program.
“We heard from our graduates through a survey last year that one of the parts of graduation they would miss the most was the opportunity to have a photo taken in their cap and gown,” said Kuhnert. “We were excited to be able to offer students the opportunity to come to campus with safety protocols in place and get their photos taken in their regalia.”
The photo opportunity was open to grads from both the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 graduation years. Students unable to come to campus were able to submit their own photos to be included.
“We know a virtual grad can’t replace the feeling of walking across the stage as friends and family cheer you on, but we hope this celebration will encourage all our grads to pause and feel pride in the incredible things they’ve accomplished in what was an incredibly difficult year,” said Kuhnert.
“The strength and resilience we’ve seen from our students has been inspiring. We’re honoured to be part of that journey.”
The virtual grad page is now live at www.nic.bc.ca/grad.
