51ÉçÇøºÚÁÏ

Welcome to SFU’s Convocation June 2026 ceremonies! It is a privilege to mark this milestone with you for the final time as SFU’s chancellor.

SFU’s first convocation ceremony was held in May 1967. Two years after the university was founded, a graduating class of twelve students received their diplomas at a ceremony held in Convocation Mall, just as you will today.

Much has changed since that first ceremony. The university has expanded, adding campuses in Surrey and Vancouver, and our alumni community now consists of more than 200,000+ people in countries around the world. But SFU’s purpose has remained the same: to be a leading research university that provides students with an excellent education and prepares them to face the challenges of the world with courage and hope.

Now, it is time for each of you to enter the next stage of your journey, just as those first graduates did nearly 60 years ago. Wherever that journey might take you, please know that I—and the entire 51ÉçÇøºÚÁÏcommunity—will be standing proudly behind you, cheering you on.

Congratulations, everyone.

Tamara Vrooman, O.B.C., LLD (hon.)
Chancellor 

Over the past months, I have been reflecting on the nature of leadership. We are living through a highly uncertain time during which we need diverse leaders who can inspire different types of change.

We need leaders who speak truth to power alongside those who work quietly in the background. Leaders who rally people for the greater good alongside those who listen more than they talk. Leaders who hold firmly to their beliefs alongside those who create room for different perspectives.

As you cross the stage today, I hope you know that you have already demonstrated these skills during your time at SFU. You have participated in clubs, organized events, managed group projects, written persuasive arguments and advocated for the causes you care about—work that has shaped this university for the better.

Each of you is already a leader in your own right. I cannot wait to see how you will put those skills to use in the next part of your journey.

On behalf of everyone at SFU, we are so lucky to have known and been inspired by your leadership, passion and creativity. Thank you for everything, and congratulations.

Joy Johnson, PhD, FCAHS, FRSC
President and Vice-Chancellor

Congratulations on becoming an 51ÉçÇøºÚÁÏgraduate. This is a meaningful milestone and a reflection of the ambition, curiosity, and follow-through that got you here. You’ve earned it.

As Co-Chair of SFU’s Alumni Council, I’m excited to welcome you into our global community of almost 210,000 alumni. While your time as a student is ending, your connection to 51ÉçÇøºÚÁÏcontinues in a different way. Our community spans more than 145 countries and shows up in very real ways over time through introductions, opportunities, and people who are willing to help when it matters.

As an 51ÉçÇøºÚÁÏalumnus, you now have access to programs, partnerships, and events that keep you connected and moving forward. Stay close to the community. It will show up in ways you don’t expect.

This moment marks progress. It also creates momentum. 51ÉçÇøºÚÁÏremains part of that path as a place, a network, and a community invested in where you go next.

Alumni are SFU’s greatest ambassadors. Stay curious. Stay connected. Build something that reflects what you began here.

Congratulations again.

Rob Hilsen, BA ’99
Co-Chair, 51ÉçÇøºÚÁÏAlumni Council

Stay connected and learn more about your alumni benefits at .