Future students

With jubilation and excitement, family, friends, faculty and staff came together this past weekend to recognize hard work and perseverance and usher more than 2,500 changemakers from students to alumni.

Behind the five ceremonies at the 129th convocation was a team of ambassadors, ushers, wayfinders, stage support and accessibility assistants, including 84 staff and alumni volunteers and 55 students who ensured a memorable experience for thousands of Waterloo graduates and their families.

On Friday, October 25, 2024, the University of Waterloo officially installed Dr. Jagdeep Singh Bachher (BASc '93, MASc '94, PhD '00) as its 12th chancellor, marking a new chapter in the University’s leadership. The chancellor serves as the University’s ceremonial head, representing the institution at public events, presiding over convocation ceremonies and conferring degrees, diplomas and certificates. 

A passion for art and drawing led Nicole Cao to pursue a degree in architecture, a journey that has now led to graduate studies at Yale University. Studying at the University of Waterloo’s School of Architecture and living in Cambridge, Ontario provided Cao with unique experiences that inspired a desire to continue learning and researching in her field. 

Brendan Pinto (BSc ’15, Kinesiology) first took up swimming to improve his fitness, but enjoyment and skill in the sport led him to take it up competitively.

But in 2011, the summer before starting his undergraduate studies at Waterloo, he suffered a leg injury while cross training that resulted in nearly a year of recovery.

“Not being able to swim for the first time had a huge impact on me psychologically, socially and physically,” Pinto says. “A year is a long time to keep having symptoms without any clear idea of whether I’m getting better or not.”

For Aparajita Bhattacharya, who is graduating with a Master of Arts degree in Public Issues Anthropology, the interdisciplinary nature of her graduate student experience opened doors to new research paths and an exciting future.  

With a background in data science and a passion for anthropology, particularly bioarchaeology, Bhattacharya’s research explored how bioinformatics can be integrated with anthropology and bioarchaeology to answer questions about infectious disease in the ancient past, and the social and cultural contexts in which they emerged.  

Convocation is a momentous occasion that honours the dedication and achievements of graduates. Family and friends come together with the University of Waterloo community to celebrate graduating students as they embark on exciting new adventures.

This year, graduate students will take the stage as valedictorians representing the Class of 2024 for the first time during the fall convocation ceremonies.

For Tia Lewis, who graduates this October with a Bachelor of Mathematics in Actuarial Science and Statistics (Finance specialization), her career is the result of years of hard work, mentorship and real-life experience.