Some traditions must continue
One of the great highlights each year for the St. Paul's community is the annual International Development (INDEV) ring ceremony. The event typically takes place in Alumni Hall on the morning of the Faculty of Environment June convocation. Typically, graduands arrive with several family members in tow and hear from INDEV faculty, the St. Paul's Chancellor and Academic Dean and a class representative before receiving their custom made rings - gifts from St. Paul's.
The ceremony is a way to celebrate the conclusion of a special academic journey for the grads. A journey that sees small cohorts of students learning and often living together for three years before spending eight months (mostly apart) while they complete field placements abroad.
This year the usual ring ceremony was not possible, so a smaller socially distanced version was held in September to ensure the class of 2020 did not miss out on what has become an annual tradition for their INDEV peers and a highlight for our community.
A special surprise for alumnus Seyni Mbaye
Seyni Mbaye (BES '17) said he was "at a loss for words" when he received a letter from Principal Myers on November 4, informing him that he had been selected by a jury of St. Paul's alumni to receive the 2020 St. Paul's Young Alumni Award.
The ensuing messages included discussion about how best to proceed with a recognition event given two complicating factors - the global pandemic and the fact that Seyni lives and works in Dakar, Senegal.
While most of these events have been in Waterloo, some have taken place in the home cities of recipients to allow family and friends to participate in the celebration. A small contingent of St. Paul's representatives have travelled to Owen Sound, Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa and as far as Edmonton and Calgary for these events. But a recognition event in Dakar would present a new logistical challenge. A virtual event on the other hand would take away from the personal and intimate feel that we hope these events achieve.
So imagine the surprise for St. Paul's and for Seyni when it was discovered two days later that our new Chancellor, Michaëlle Jean would soon be travelling to Dakar for an official visit and offered to present Seyni with the award at the Canadian Embassy while she was there.
On November 20, roughly two weeks after learning he had been selected, Seyni found himself at the Canadian Embassy to Senegal accepting the St. Paul's Young Alumni Award from the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, 27th Governor General of Canada and past President of the International Organization of La Francophonie. Congratulations Seyni!
Graeme Reed one of Corporate Knights' 30 under 30
INDEV alumnus Graeme Reed (BES '14), recipient of the 2018 St. Paul's Young Alumni Award was recently named to Corporate Knights Magazine's annual top 30 under 30 sustainability leaders class of 2020.
Graeme, 28, is of mixed Anishinaabe and European descent and works as a senior policy advisor for the Assembly of First Nations (AFN). He has represented AFN at three United Nations climate talks and worked with Chiefs at the AFN annual general assembly to declare a First Nations climate emergency. He is currently working toward his PhD at the University of Guelph where he researches the intersection of Indigenous governance, environmental governance and the climate crisis.
Graeme is one of two members of the St. Paul's community recognized on this year's list which also includes Beth Eden an alumnus of GreenHouse.
Congratulations Graeme!
