Elder Charlie Fox tips his headdress to the 2022 Medicine Hat graduates
during his acceptance speech after receiving an Honorary Applied Degree from the college. Medicine Hat College's graduation ceremony was held in person for the first time since 2019.--NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
For the first time in two years, Medicine Hat College graduates were able to accept their diplomas in person.
The college held its convocation Friday afternoon at Co-op Place to celebrate 2022 graduates. An in-person ceremony was also held earlier Friday for those 2020 and 2021 graduates not able to walk the stage due to the pandemic.
Elder Charlie Fox, of the Kainai Nations Sacred Horn Society, was the recipient of the 2022 honorary applied baccalaureate degree.
Fox has advised on matters including the 2020 Land Blessing Ceremony for the MHC’s new Indigenous space, the Indigenous strategic plan and assisted in the creation of a partnership with the Miywasin Friendship Centre.
Before the convocation Fox told the News he never would have imagined being honoured like this.
“I almost fell out of my chair, brother Dan just about broke into tears, it was really awesome,” Fox said.
He said he had roughly 40 friends and family in attendance for the ceremony. Fox was also part of the college’s Indigenous convocation ceremony Thursday for the 21 Indigenous 2022 graduates.
“Any accomplishments our people make to advance – and education is the tool to fulfill your dreams – I’m in total support in that because I’ve been on that route,” Fox said.
When accepting his honorary degree, Fox said on stage he was humbled as he shared a saying his father had told him.
“‘You get aggressive at first snowfall,’ my father was about 106 years old when he passed, on a fall day waking up to see the snow starting to fall, he would tell us those words I shared with you. You can apply those words to life in general. When I hit a brick wall, I think about those words, it’s time to get aggressive when you face these challenges,” Fox said. “I see the college as an example of reconciliation, I can’t think of a better word.”
Medicine Hat College named Travis Boser student of the year for being in exceptional academic standing and having made a significant contribution to the cultural, social or recreational life of MHC.
Boser, a graduate of the collaborative Bachelor of Education program, said he’s thought about graduation for four years and going through COVID made the day even sweeter.
“It makes it so much nicer going through that together and that we can really celebrate together today,” Boser said. “All the work we put in and that extra added work for going through COVID doing it.”
He said he was honoured to receive the award and said his parents modelled getting involved in the community from when he was a child in Septa, Sask.
“I grew up in a really small town in Saskatchewan where if we didn’t have volunteers, stuff doesn’t happen,” Boser said. “My parents really modelled getting involved and giving back to the community to us as kids, and it’s something that I really enjoy to do now in my adult life.”
Preston Sloan, co-ordinator of MHC’s Occupational Therapy Assistant/Physical Therapy Assistant program, was named instructor of the year.
Sloan said graduation day is a fun day as an instructor getting to see his students reach their goal. He was honoured to receive the award and said he learned a lot from his colleagues since becoming a full-time instructor in 2021.
“I’ve been lucky enough to be mentored by some pretty great individuals and teachers, and we had some some really good successes this year, despite the challenges,” Sloan said.
Jean-Francois Marquis, a graduate of the power engineering program, received the Governor General’s Academic Medal, which is awarded to the student who receives the highest overall average upon graduation. Marquis was not in attendance for the ceremony.
“Today’s for you, to close this chapter in life and open the door to another, celebrate every moment and cherish today, you absolutely deserve it,” MHC president and CEO Kevin Shufflebotham said to the graduating class. “Thank you for allowing us to be part of your story, please keep in touch, and on behalf of everyone at Medicine Hat college, congratulations.”
