Nipissing University celebrates the class of 2012

The Right Honourable Paul Martin(l) with Chancellor Jon Dellandrea received an Honorary Doctorate of Education from Nipissing University this past Wednesday.

It was a busy week for Nipissing University as officials handed out degrees to the class of 2012 during the spring convocation.

In the mix of excited graduates were a Prime Minister, a Premier, a Grand Chief, a University President and a founding member of Free the Children.

The Right Honourable Paul Martin, Grand Chief Stan Louttit, Dr. Dennis Mock, Roxanne Joyal and the Honourable William G. Davis all received the university’s highest mark of distinction, an honorary degree.

During the convocation address Wednesday, the Right Honourable Paul Martin, Canada’s 21st Prime Minister, spoke to School of Education graduates in both official languages about their role in shaping Canada’s future and the importance of reducing the Aboriginal youth dropout rate and increase the number of Aboriginal students attending postsecondary institutions.

“I want to thank you for the honour the university has bestowed upon me. I want to as well and most importantly congratulate you the graduates of the Faculty of Education that have worked so hard to get here this is your day and I am very privileged you’ve allowed me to share this with you.”

“Let me also say I cannot think of a vocation that is more important than the one that lies before you,” the former Prime Minister went on to say.

“Quite simply there is no other way around it as teachers you hold the future of Canada in your hands.”





Dr. Dennis Mock, the fourth President and Vice-Chancellor of Nipissing University, talked to the graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Science about the importance of ceasing the moment and living life to its fullest during their careers and not putting things off.

“This morning I hope to get you to think about and realise the significance of this exact moment in time – your time, your now … and the next, and the next and every moment as you live your future.”

“I bring you a reference to a line from a song “five hundred twenty-five thousand Six hundred minutes How do you measure, how do you measure a life,’ the song asked you to measure the quality of your life,” he says.

“The song asks you if you are you really living it to the fullest. It reminds us that time is finite and we only get one chance to live each moment to the fullest.”

“I challenge you to live fully in every moment. To be present in all that you do, live the moments today don’t save those special experiences for retirement.”

“Remember life is not a dress rehearsal -- Carpe diem.”