One of my earliest memories is of a framed petit point print that my grandmother had on her kitchen wall that quoted from a poem by Adam Lindsay Gordon:
Life is full of froth and bubble
Two things stand like stone
Kindness in another's troubles
Courage in your own.
Over the past few months, as we have faced unprecedented challenges as individuals, as an institution, and as a society, I have come to appreciate the wisdom of this very simple message.
To be leaving the U of A at this moment feels strange - a sentiment the students graduating this week may share. However, Convocation is fundamentally about community and what connects us. At times like this, it is more apparent than ever just how reliant we are on each other, and how important it is that we care for and support each other. It is also apparent how important it is to face our challenges head-on and to work through them with grit and determination. It is through the combination of kindness and courage that we will make it through this pandemic and hopefully emerge as a stronger and more compassionate community.
With more time at home than usual, I have also been reflecting on how important universities are to our society. It is here that we educate our future doctors and nurses, lawyers and engineers, scientists and teachers, poets and accountants. It is here that we help our students to develop leadership skills, to guide the world as we go forward. It is here that our researchers will find the vaccines we need to protect us against this, and future, pandemics. It is here that we will develop the knowledge base that will fuel the economy of tomorrow.
Our university is critical to overcoming the challenges of today and building our future.
I will finish my term as Chancellor of this university in a few days. Serving in this role has been one of the most rewarding - and certainly one of the most interesting - experiences of my life. It has given me the opportunity to interact with the students, staff, faculty, administration, and alumni who are the heart of this great institution.
While there are many moments over this time that I cherish, none is as memorable as presiding over Convocation. By the end of my term, I will have had the wonderful opportunity to confer degrees on over 34,000 graduates of this institution - and to witness the pride, the excitement, and sometimes the trepidation of each of these remarkable individuals as they embark on the next stage of the journey of their lives.
This spring, it is not possible to celebrate Convocation in person with our graduates. Instead, we have worked hard to create a truly meaningful on-line experience for our graduates and all of their families and friends. To each and every one of you, I offer my heart-felt congratulations and best wishes for all that you have already accomplished - and for all that you will accomplish over the rest of your lives. While we face uncertain times ahead, your education here has prepared you for just this moment. May you go forward with kindness and courage, to overcome the challenges that life presents and to build a better society for all.
Chancellor Douglas R. Stollery
Douglas R. Stollery was elected the 21st Chancellor of the University of Alberta in May 2016. Doug graduated with an LLB from the Faculty of Law of the University of Alberta in 1976 and with an LLM from Harvard Law School in 1980. He practised law with the firm of Reynolds Mirth Richards & Farmer LLP for a period of almost 30 years before joining PCL Constructors Inc. in 2006 as general counsel. He retired from PCL in 2013 and now serves as a community volunteer and as counsel to Reynolds Mirth Richards & Farmer LLP.
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