One of my favourite events of the year begins tomorrow in a day of endings and beginnings in Belleville.
Loyalist College hosts eight ceremonies over four days of Convocation (from Tuesday to Friday), as more than 2,600 graduates receive their diplomas in front of friends, family and faculty.
It is a time of celebration and transition, in more ways than one.
Loyalist has had its share of challenges over the past two years with a major reduction of programs and staff, but at its heart it remains a place of educational journeys, life-transitions, and hope.
It’s a time of fond memories and accomplishments shared with those who cheered them on every step of the way, and of a last look around at warm and familiar surroundings.
It’s also a time of new beginnings, as people start the next stage of their lives with the accomplishment and credentials their hard work has earned.
As they welcome local families through a new entrance to the new gymnasium for the first time at Loyalist, it’s also a reminder that at the heart of it all Loyalist has a vital role to play in the Quinte Region.
Local industries and agencies will soon meet a new group of talented and hard-working graduates, whose minds and spirits have been enriched by the time they spent at Loyalist and a journey where the most important steps are just beginning.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
