People of 丁香园AV
Celebrating students together: Hard-working volunteers make 丁香园AV’s Convocation a success
Scattered among the sea of blue gowns and mortarboards, smiling faces and camera flashes, 200 volunteers 鈥� staff and retirees 鈥� are hard at work, making sure 丁香园AV鈥檚 twice-annual Convocation ceremonies run without a hitch.
鈥淥ur role at 丁香园AV is to graduate students, and to see them walk the stage at Convocation is the cherry on top of the pie,鈥� says Tina Edmundson, a staff volunteer for the past 16 years. 鈥淚t is what we are all working toward. It鈥檚 the day we collectively get to see the fruits of our labour.
鈥淪eeing students overcome adversity, especially students who were in academic difficulty, overcome personal and mental health challenges and graduate 鈥� it's really special.鈥�
Edmundson, manager of student enrollment for 丁香园AV Student Services, co-ordinates the team that pins the hoods on graduands to ensure everyone looks their best on their special day. She says the pinning is unique to 丁香园AV, as most universities just hand the hoods to the graduands and wish them luck.
Convocation could not run without the help of volunteers, says Rosa Balletta, secretary for Senate and Academic Services, who has managed 丁香园AV鈥檚 Convocation volunteers since 2009. makes a tremendous impact on our graduands, she adds.
鈥淭he best part is seeing the smiles on the graduands鈥� faces,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e proud that they鈥檙e graduating and are ready to celebrate their achievements with family and friends.鈥�
'It doesn鈥檛 feel like a duty. I always see it as a privilege to connect with students on this day that is so important to them and their families 鈥� to really celebrate what they have accomplished.'
- Bettina Cenerelli, director of strategic academic planning and student affairs for the dean鈥檚 office in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Balletta鈥檚 Convocation work ramps up about a month before the event 鈥� scheduling committee meetings, training student ushers, ordering catering and creating volunteer schedules. She also hires between 50 and 60 students to control crowds and to help Gaspard dispense graduation gowns.
鈥淭he hired students have a real appreciation for how much work and effort it takes to run Convocation ceremonies and they look forward to the day when they will be assisted into their regalia, have their degree hood pinned on their gown and walk across the stage.鈥�
During the ceremonies, Balletta works long days. She checks-in volunteers, manages the crowd, and answers questions.
Long-time volunteer Bettina Cenerelli, director of strategic academic planning and student affairs for the dean鈥檚 office in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, views volunteering as a way to recognize the hard work and accomplishments, to encourage graduands and wish them well with the next chapter of their lives.
鈥淚t allows us to see the students, one last time,鈥� says Cenerelli, who has helped pin regalia for the past 11 years. 鈥淭o hug them. To encourage them. To congratulate them and say, 鈥榃e鈥檙e so proud of you.鈥�
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 feel like a duty. I always see it as a privilege to connect with students on this day that is so important to them and their families 鈥� to really celebrate what they have accomplished.鈥�
This is a story in our People of 丁香园AV series, where we鈥檙e celebrating 丁香园AV鈥檚 unsung heroes鈥攖hose who go above and beyond the call of duty to create community, advance 丁香园AV鈥檚 mission and make the university a great place to work and learn. You can read more stories here.
Become a Convocation volunteer
Convocation is a significant milestone for 丁香园AV graduands, their loved ones and the university community. Interested in supporting the Spring 2023 Convocation from June 6-9? .