Congratulations to the BCIT 2020 Graduating Class! BCIT launched the Graduating Student Celebration video, hosted by Global BC News Hour anchor and BCIT alumna Sophie Lui, on June 23 at 10 am to honour our graduates for their accomplishments and to create a memorable experience that can be shared with friends, family, peers, and mentors. Graduating students will also be invited to participate in a traditional, in-person Convocation ceremony in the future, once Provincial Health guidelines dictate the ability for us to gather together again.
Celebrate our graduates by using #BCITGrad2020
“Graduation is one of the most exciting times in a student’s life. It is when it all comes together. When you can finally pat yourself on the back and say “mission accomplished” before heading off into the next phase of your life. But this year, things were different. The pandemic changed everything. Yet, despite the hardship and the uncertainty, you rose to the challenge, found creative ways to remain connected, finished your classes online and made the best out of a difficult situation. You should be very proud of yourselves,” shared in a message from Her Excellence the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Canada.
BCIT President Kathy Kinloch congratulated the Graduating Class of 2020 and for their demonstrated leadership, passion, and persistence, particularly since March of this year when classes transitioned primarily online to keep everyone safe.
“Not only have you achieved academic success, but you’ve come through the pivot on the online classes successfully and braved the sudden and unexpected challenges presented by a global pandemic. I’m very proud of you for all your persisting and succeeding. I know these last few months were incredibly challenging for many of you: financially, academically, and personally, as we all worked to keep our families communities, and ourselves safe through this first wave of the pandemic. Thank you for keeping focused and a huge shout out to your parents, friends, and family who supported you along the way. I suspect many of you have learned more about yourself recently than you thought was possible. These new discoveries about your priorities, your strengths, and vulnerabilities will be invaluable to you as future leaders. I found that personal growth and learning from life experiences is critical to add to your toolkit going forward. And what a life experience you are having! You may have thought that your learning journey was behind you today, but – as emerging new leaders – you will find you’re on a lifelong path of learning, growth, challenge, and critical to add to your toolkit going forward,” said President Kathy Kinloch.
Emil Bosnjak, President of BCIT Alumni Association, welcomed the Graduating Class of 2020 as they now join a growing network of over 190,000 BCIT alumni in more than a hundred countries across the world.
Congratulatory messages included those from The Honourable John Horgan, Premier of British Columbia; Doug Eveneshen, Chair of BCIT Board of Governors; Kevin Lim, BCIT alumnus and Morning Radio Host on 104.9 FM; Tamara Vrooman, President and CEO of Vancity Credit Union; and many BCIT alumni, faculty, and staff. As BCIT alumni who are leaders in their respective fields, Erin Cebula, TV Host and Producer; Brendan Batchelor, Vancouver Canucks Play-by-Play Broadcaster on Sportsnet; Launi Skinner, CEO of First West Credit Union, Bridgitte Anderson; President and CEO of Greater Vancouver Board of Trade; and Sandy Blue, Managing Partner for 2b Ventures and City Councillor for City of Abbotsford, also shared their words of wisdom for our new graduates.
Host Sophie Lui wrapped up the celebration with a last piece of advice to graduates, “Don’t let this be the end of your education. Whether it means furthering your learning process to be better at your job, or get a promotion, or simply expanding your horizons in whatever happens to interest you, my advice is: keep your mind and your curiosity active. We’re going through a very strange time. It’s been heartbreaking at times. But it’s also been a time of learning and listening, and hopefully striving to make ourselves better humans and to make this world a better place.”
Watch the Graduating Celebration Video and join us in celebrating #BCITGrad2020! Visit BCIT Convocation to get more information on the BCIT Alumni Association, graduation photography, BCIT branded merchandise, and more.
Wear your BCIT pride: get your free BCIT Alumni pin
All BCIT graduates are eligible to receive a BCIT Alumni pin. Order a free alumni pin from the BCIT Alumni Store, and it’ll be shipped to you at no additional cost.
Download the BCIT Alumni Perks App
Calling all alumni! Access your free alumni digital card by downloading the BCIT Alumni Perks app. Inside the app, you’ll find exclusive discounts, benefits, and contests including $100 off a BCIT Part-time Studies course. Search ‘BCIT Alumni Perks’ in the Google Play or App Store. The app is free; download it today!
Other ways to celebrate our #BCITGrad2020
Join the conversation using #BCITGrad2020
Create and share congratulatory posts to BCIT Grads on social channels (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) using the hashtag #BCITGrad2020. Posts will be featured in the social feed on our Convocation website. This means grads who visit the page will be able to see messages from their friends and family, or favorite BCIT staff and faculty.
Virtual celebration tools for social media
Visit the Virtual Celebration Tools tab on the BCIT Convocation website to discover other ways that you can make this day special for graduates via social media. Tools include BCIT graduation themed Facebook frames, Instagram and Facebook Story Giphys, and Zoom backgrounds.
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