October 27, 2025
Celebrating the fall Class of 2025
Waterloo welcomes 2,800 new graduates to its alumni club and celebrates their bold new journeys
Fall 2025 Convocation was a vibrant celebration of achievement, perseverance and community at the University of Waterloo. Across five ceremonies, the campus came alive with cheers, applause and heartfelt moments as thousands of graduates crossed the stage to mark the culmination of their academic journeys.
Their success is a testament to their strength and adaptability, and the ceremonies reflected the pride felt by families, friends, faculty and staff who supported them along the way.
“I was truly impressed by the remarkable accomplishments of our graduates,” says Dr. Vivek Goel, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo. “As the newest members of Waterloo’s global alumni network, these graduates are now part of a community that spans industries, continents and causes. Their next chapters will be shaped by the knowledge, experiences and values they cultivated during their time at Waterloo.”
Behind the scenes, the success of convocation was made possible by a dedicated team of volunteers and staff. A total of 85 staff volunteers, 80 student ambassadors and five retirees worked enthusiastically to ensure each ceremony ran smoothly.
In total, Waterloo conferred 174 PhD degrees, 1,085 master’s degrees and 1,465 undergraduate degrees to new alumni — each one representing a unique story of growth, learning and accomplishment.
Convocation was more than a formal ceremony — it was a moment of reflection and celebration. Graduates paused to acknowledge the friendships, mentorships and milestones that shaped their time at Waterloo.
Here are some of the most memorable moments from this year’s ceremonies.
“Adaptability in your superpower”
Waterloo chancellor Dr. Jagdeep Bachher (BASc ’93, MASc ’94, PhD ’00) shared the power of being adaptable with the graduating class. He encouraged Waterloo’s newest alumni to learn, unlearn, relearn and pivot when the ground beneath shifts. “Adaptability is your superpower,” he said. “Find opportunity in uncertainty. It is not about avoiding storms … it’s about learning to dance in the rain. Your challenge — and opportunity — is not just to withstand change, but to shape it.”
Watch the Chancellor’s full speech on YouTube
"The power of curiosity to bridge divides"
During her valedictorian address, Alexandrine Marie Gabriel (MDEI ’25), from the Faculty of Arts, encouraged her peers to pair the knowledge gained at Waterloo with a spirit of curiosity. Together, they become a limitless force to drive bold and lasting innovations for generations to come.
“There is no greater moral responsibility than to remain curious … Curiosity isn’t just a personality trait, it’s a deliberate choice,” she shared. “It’s a lifelong commitment that when pursued radically, intentionally and unrelentingly, gives us the tools to challenge division at its core, reject the ease of assumptions and help shape a more tolerant, inclusive, and open future ... the kind our parents quietly hoped we’d grow up to build.”
Watch Gabriel’s full speech on YouTube
Let’s go, Blue Jays!
Fall convocation was not just a time of celebration for our graduates, it was a moment in history that oozed Canadian pride. After 32 years, the Toronto Blue Jays made it to the World Series, and baseball fans, including the University’s president and chancellor were proud to represent in appropriate regalia.
Read individual Tweet on Twitter
“We just proved that we can handle it”
Reflecting on the almost seven years it took to complete her PhD part-time: on evenings, weekends, summer vacations and Christmas holidays, Dr. Kelly McManus gave inspiring remarks on resiliency during her valedictorian speech for the Faculty of Health. “Don’t you dare underestimate what you just accomplished,” she said. “Here’s what you need to know about resilience: first, it’s what we carry on the inside when we felt like an imposter … when we wanted to quit.”
McManus, who works full-time at Waterloo, encouraged her fellow graduates to not only think about the end, but to reflect on the journey that brought them together at convocation.
“Today, we will leave this ceremony with our diplomas, but don’t lose sight that we are also leaving with so much more … it’s our resilience.”
Watch McManus’ full speech on YouTube
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Warriors didn’t just mark a milestone, they celebrated the exciting start of your remarkable journeys ahead. Congratulations, Class of 2025! The future is yours, and the world awaits your brilliance.
