Congratulations to the class of Spring 2019

Good afternoon fellow graduates, faculty, parents, friends, and guests.

Can you believe that our time as undergraduate science students has finally come to a close? It felt like it was just yesterday that we were anxiously waiting for an acceptance letter and scrambling to make that first class schedule, navigating Beartracks for the first time. But it wasn't long after that we were able to find our niche in the campus ecosystem, quickly finding our favourite places to study and joining clubs that would become important parts of our stories. We were constantly facing brand new challenges and it was never easy, but the shared sense of camaraderie that we felt knowing that we were all in it together helped get us through.

While I was reminiscing about my time here at the University of Alberta, thinking of something to say in front of you all this afternoon, I decided to do some rough calculations about how our time has been spent during our degrees.

First, we have sat through at least 40 courses to get here. That translates to around 40 final exams that were written. Aren't we glad those are over? We've also spent roughly 1,300 hours, or almost 8 full weeks, in lecture... I'm sorry if you had to spend a lot of them in Tory Basement. There were around 160 hours spent in labs… but if you chose a lab heavy major this number likely doubles for you. Of course, there was also the incalculable amount of time spent studying for exams in Cameron Library, preparing for presentations, and writing up all those lab reports.

It can be easy to reduce our degree to a few numbers, however we all know that it was so much more than that. From the friends we met to the things we learned about ourselves, we are the sum of our experiences and this is something that is much harder to calculate.

Moving forward into the next chapter in our lives, we may not remember the details from each class and hey, it might not be important for where you're going. But arguably the most important thing that this degree has taught us is the ability to really think critically and ask questions - not just about science but about everything around us.

The importance of this can be summed up in a quote from Carl Sagan, astronomer and science communicator: "Science is more than a body of knowledge. It is a way of thinking; a way of skeptically interrogating the universe with a fine understanding of human fallibility. If we are not able to ask skeptical questions, to interrogate those who tell us that something is true, to be skeptical of those in authority, then, we are up for grabs for the next charlatan political or religious who comes ambling along."

Naturally, science is curious and inquisitive. We have been constantly challenged to seek out the answers to hypotheses - whether that was through experiments carried out in labs, independent research courses, or a research paper.

When you move on from here, I challenge you to continue to practice what you've learned during your degree. Practice skepticism and continue to ask difficult questions. Engage with dissent and criticism. Take the extra step to find a peer-reviewed article when something is too good to be true. Challenge those around you to do the same and never stop fighting for that which is grounded by scientific evidence. Like Henry Marshall Tory challenged the University community in 1908, I challenge you to "uplift the whole people". The world will be all the better for it.

Although everyone's journey has been unique, and we may have taken different paths to get here, we have all arrived together today to celebrate an incredible milestone in our lives. As you move onto the next chapter, go with an insatiable curiosity and dreams unbounded. I am honoured to have been able to share not only this day, but the last few years with you all. I hope you are all incredibly proud of your accomplishments and that you wear your degree with pride.

To the spring graduates of 2019, we did it! This one is for you. Cheers.