We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

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Reflecting on the Graduating Class Challenge 2015

Hunter with students at the Graduating Class Challenge The Graduating Class Challenge is an annual event to celebrate and engage with our newest crop of UOIT alumni. Although the Graduating Class Challenge is exclusive to the graduating class and only held over five days, the Alumni Association Council (AAC) had several opportunity to connect with students including fun wing nights at E.P. Taylor’s and Riley’s. At the last event, AAC members and other alumni were invited to network, give advice and engage with soon-to-be alumni. All events during the Graduating Class Challenge were exciting and engaging, and the last event had a great environment of alumni and students talking about future careers and networking with loads of refreshments and great food enjoyed by all.

It was inspiring to meet current students who have positioned themselves to quickly grow their career as they prepare to leave UOIT. Leading educators, engineers, marketers, IT professionals, social scientists and accountants gathered to pick the brains of alumni in the workforce and discuss industry trends and success tips, advice on how to apply for jobs in their respective field, and an opportunity to not only connect on a professional level, but on a personal level as well. In our opinion, it wasn’t just a body of students and a body of alumni, but an environment where friendships were renewed and solidified, advice was obtained, and even personal and professional relationships were born. We left motivated by the enthusiasm and ambitions of this year’s graduates and believe that alumni and students all took away something from the events that was very special and will have a lasting impression for years to come.

On a final note, the council members were very excited and thrilled because after all the events and opportunities for engagement, the most revealing and exciting reminder we saw was that these young students possess the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit UOIT has offered since day one, and with each graduating class, it’s just getting bigger, and better!