Alyssa Penner, Student Reader at the 2016 Graduation Ceremony
The Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies graduating class of 2016 celebrated their achievements last week during Convocation at UBC’s Okanagan Campus. After years of hard work and dedication, sixty-two students graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, twenty-five students graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, and thirteen Masters and PhD students completed their degree.
“All of us in FCCS are proud of the students who walked across the stage at this year’s graduation ceremony,” says FCCS Associate Dean, Dr. Marianne Legault.
Alyssa Penner, graduating with a BA with a major in French and Spanish, was chosen as this year’s Student Reader. At the ceremony, she shared a heartfelt and insightful speech with the students from this year’s graduating class.
“Being chosen as the Student Reader at my graduation ceremony was an incredible honour. After working so hard to earn my Bachelor of Arts degree, graduation was already an exciting event, and the opportunity to speak on behalf of the graduates made the day even more memorable,” says Alyssa.
This was a great opportunity for Alyssa to reflect on her time as a student, and to offer some words of advice and encouragement to her peers. Along with being asked to be the student speaker at graduation, Alyssa was also honoured by receiving the French Essay prize at the end of the semester.
“Moments like these remind me that all of the effort that I have put into my education does not go unnoticed, and I am sure that other students feel the same way! I am so glad to have been a student at UBCO, and I would not hesitate to recommend my school to other people interested in learning something new!” notes Alyssa.
FCCS Graduation Reception, June 9, 2016
After the ceremony, a reception was held in the Creative and Critical Studies building for all of the FCCS graduates and their guests to continue the celebrations of the day. Dr. Robert Eggleston, Dean pro tem addressed the attendees wishing the graduates great success as they embark on their next stages of life.
FCCS is also pleased to recognize the achievements of the following graduating or continuing students who received awards for their outstanding academic performance over this year:
- Samantha Baldwin, BA, Kelly Curtis Memorial Scholarship
- Jordan Bennett, MFA, DVC Purchase Award
- Julia Cave, BA, FCCS Cultural Studies Scholarship
- Ada Cheng, BA, FCCS Spanish Scholarship
- Jia Chen, BFA, DVC Purchase Award
- Brandon Dobroskay, BFA, FCCS Dean’s Office Purchase Award
- Sarah Ellis, BFA, Murry Johnson Memorial Award in Visual Arts
- Shannon England, BFA, Visual Arts Course Union Award
- Tyler Fey, BA in Creative Writing
- Esther-Gabrielle Roy-Cloutier, BFA, UBC Okanagan Visual Arts Award
- Jill Janvier, BFA, Frances Harris Prize in Visual Arts
- Christine Karow, BA in Art History and Visual Culture, FCCS Art History and Visual Culture Scholarship
- Tristan Knoll, BA, German Canadian Harmonie Club Prize in German Studies
- Boaz Kwok, BFA, DVC Purchase Award
- Patricia Leinemann, BFA, Elinor Yandel Memorial Award in Fine Arts
- Amy Malbeuf, MFA, Wilden Creativity Award
- Lauren Marshall, BA in Creative Writing, Creative Writing Prize
- Colby McLean Lincoln, BFA, Visual Arts Course Union Award
- Dustin Mellus, BFA, Craig Hall Visual Arts Scholarship in Printmaking
- Victoria Moore, BFA, Norma and Jack Aitken Prize in Visual Arts
- Paisley Newburn, BC, FCCS French and Spanish Scholarship
- Charlotte Nelson, BFA, Asper Family Scholarship
- Lauren Nixon, BA, FCCS French Scholarship
- Alyssa Penner, BA in French and Spanish, FCCS French Essay Prize
- Jamie Roodzant, BFA, Visual Arts Course Union Award
- Ryan Roman, BFA, DVC Purchase Award
- Sage Sidley, BFA, Doug Biden Scholarship in Visual Arts
- Laureta Stevenson, BFA, Asper Family Scholarship
- Leah Afler, BA, FCCS English Scholarship
- Maranda Wilson, BA in English, Dr. Shelley Martin Memorial Scholarship
- Shangning Zhu, BFA, FCCS Interdisciplinary Performance Scholarship