UFV Celebrates! graduation, award winners, and student speakers

Congratulations to all UFV grads!  It’s such a momentous occasion and we celebrate alongside of you.

Ryan Buhrig, 2021 Governor General Gold Medal with James Mandigo, Provost and VP, Academic

The Governor General’s Gold Medal for top student in a master’s degree program went to Ryan Buhrig of Surrey, who earned a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice. Even as a child, the intricacies of law have always appealed to Ryan Buhrig. So, when it was time to pinpoint a career, it was no surprise which field he would pursue.

The only question left was: which direction of law would serve his greatest purpose?  Buhrig had his sights set on law school until one of his professors interjected.

“She actually recommended that I try policing as a career and it really made me think,” says Buhrig, a native of Surrey. “And for me, it was just kind of an opportunity to stay active, which is very important to me, and the chance to really make a difference in my community.”

Since receiving that advice, Buhrig has gone on to excel in both the field and the classroom. He has seven years of experience working in law enforcement and is also graduating this year from UFV with a master of arts degree in criminal justice (and a perfect 4.33 GPA)

Tanner Boos, 2021 Governor General Silver Medal with James Mandigo, Provost and VP, Academic

The Governor General’s Silver Medal for top bachelor’s degree student went to Tanner Boos of Chilliwack, who completed a Bachelor of Science. Boos graduated with a near-perfect 4.29 GPA. In fact, in his last 90 credits, he achieved a perfect 4.33 GPA. That’s quite a number. Boos loves mathematics and hopes to teach at the university or high school level.

Boos always loved math and numbers but it took a few years working after finishing high school to make him realize what his vocational passion was. “I was working in the real estate industry and I realized that the thing I enjoyed the most about real estate was the mathematics involved,” he recalls. “I always had an aptitude for math but didn’t really apply myself until I started taking courses at UFV.”

Alona Gurieva, 2021 Governor General Bronze Medal with James Mandigo, Provost and VP, Academic

The Governor General’s Bronze Medal for top student from a two-year program went to Alona Gurieva of Langley, who earned an Early Childhood Education diploma.

Late last month, Alona Gurieva was at home in Langley when she received an unexpected email. It was from Christina Slavik, the department head of Child, Youth, and Family Studies at UFV, letting Gurieva know that she was the recipient of the 2021 Governor General’s Bronze Medal at the University of the Fraser Valley, awarded to the student in a two-year program with the highest grade point average. It was a prestigious honour that was equally as confusing as it was flattering.

“I didn’t know what this award is all about,” admits Gurieva, who is graduating with an Early Childhood Education diploma. “After I found out, I was in disbelief that it really happened to me. Like, why me? I’m really honored and happy that I got it because it has been a big journey for me.”

She is not kidding about the journey. While everybody has their own educational and career story, and their own barriers, Gurieva took an almost unheard of route to get to her current role as star student. She has been studying full-time for the better part of the last decade, and earning high marks — she accomplished a perfect 4.33 GPA in her last 60 credits.

“I was trying to find something else that I’m really passionate about and it was actually children,” says Gurieva, whose own children are 9 and 14. “That’s how I found out about UFV’s early childhood education program.”

Faria Firoz, 2021 Lieutenant Governor’s Medal with James Mandigo, Provost and VP, Academic

The Lieutenant Governor’s Medal went to Faria Firoz of Chilliwack, who earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Faria Firoz has only lived in Canada for five years, but she is already making a difference by using her art to communicate about social issues.

As she graduates with her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from UFV, she is one of four artists featured in the Black Lives Matter Social Justice art project that launched on June 12 at the University of the Fraser Valley.

In recognition of her commitment to advocacy, Firoz is the 2021 recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s medal at the UFV. The criteria for the medal includes student involvement in promoting diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation.

Terisha Mitchell, 2021 Student Speaker

Special thanks to the Student Speakers for such an incredible job of representing over 3000 graduates at this unprecedented 2021 convocation virtual ceremony, they are Monik Jaura (Health Sciences), Veronica Kobes (Science), Pip Robertshaw (Professional Studies), Terisha Mitchell (Applied and Technical Studies), Belle Hernberg-Johnson (Humanities), and Paul Jaku (Social Sciences).

Paul Jakhu, 2021 Student Speaker

President Joanne MacLean shared a message that acknowledged the tough times faced by students during the pandemic, but emphasized a brighter future on the horizon.

“But during the course of your studies you have worked hard, you’ve been challenged to learn in breadth and depth, to think in different ways through a different lens, to understand complexities and to consider new ideas. You have tested conventional thinking, embraced new knowledge, and above all, you have persevered in the face of challenge.

“And, although our celebrations are virtual this year, please know that our happiness is real and comes from our hearts. For this is a day of joy and celebration, of happy endings and new beginnings, of family and friends, of successes and hopes.

Philippa (Pip) Robertshaw, Student Speaker

Belle Hernberg-Johnson, 2021 Student Speaker

Veronica Kobes, 2021 Student Speaker

Sourced Sourced from:  https://blogs.ufv.ca/blog/2021/06/ufv-celebrates-grads-of-2021-and-2020-with-a-virtual-convocation/