Speakers ponder roads to their degrees
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Instead of making that daily climb up the hill, for example, many of his classmates will recall their early morning rides to class on Skytrain.
Poonian, of Abbotsford, is one of 36 students who will be the first graduating class of the university's new Surrey campus. He is also one of six students who will speak at SFU's spring convocation ceremonies June 4-6.
With that in mind, Poonian's reflections on achieving a degree will be coloured with "the unique experiences" they shared in Surrey. "We've learned how to be adaptable and flexible," says Poonian, of the transition students faced after SFU opened the campus, formerly the Technical University of B.C. "In some ways we were tested by this process, but we are stronger because of it," he says.
Poonian, who delivers his address on Thursday afternoon, will receive a bachelor of science degree in information technology and is continuing on with graduate studies in the field of bioinformatics and RNA secondary structure prediction, under SFU Surrey faculty member Kay C. Wiese.
Like Poonian, each of the student convocation speakers is carrying on with academia. They include:
Kim vander Woerd, of Vancouver, who delivers her address at the June 4 morning ceremony. She receives her master of arts degree in psychology and is continuing PhD studies on the health and well-being of aboriginal high school drop outs in Alert Bay;
Amber Dean, of Vancouver, who will speak on Wednesday afternoon. She defended her master's thesis in women's studies last fall and has been teaching at North Island College in Courtenay, and will teach at Capilano College in September.
Amber Louie, of Vancouver, who speaks Thursday morning, has completed a bachelor's degree in arts, majoring in economics, and is eyeing the interdisciplinary master's program at UBC;
Krysta Ryz, of Surrey, who speaks at Friday morning's ceremony. She receives a bachelor of business administration degree and minored in molecular biology and biochemistry, and is targeting medical school;
Roy Wilds, of Kamloops, who will follow his academic love for applied mathematics all the way to McGill University, now that he has earned a bachelor of science degree, with honours in mathematical physics. He completes the student speeches with his address on Friday afternoon.
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Contact
Jagdeep Poonian, 604.807.8494 (cell); jpoonian@sfu.ca
Marianne Meadahl/Julie Ovenell-Carter, Media & PR, 604.291.4323; marianne_meadahl@sfu.ca