While traditional spring ceremonies have been postponed, it didn't keep graduating students in Ivey's MSc, MBA, EMBA and PhD Programs from gathering online to celebrate their accomplishments, and take part in the Ivey Pledge Ceremony today.
Complete with valedictorians, academic awards, and recognition for outstanding teaching, the Pledge Ceremony also was a time to look back on a year that began at the Richard Ivey Building, but was moved to an online experience with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March.
The event also marked the welcoming of the 30,000th member into the Ivey Alumni Network, an event that was an important part of the online celebrations. Ivey alumni are now represented in more than 100 countries around the world.
While graduates were not able to take the pledge in person, they heard messages of optimism and hope from Scott Vanderwel, HBA '98, Chair of the Ivey Alumni Network, and Dean Sharon Hodgson, in a digital event as students gathered around their computer screens in locations around the world.
MSc, MBA and EMBA students then moved to their own celebrations. Valedictorian Joren Tergesen spoke to his MSc classmates, and Phill Gibson was the valedictorian for the MBA Program.
Related to this story
Honouring top performers
Dean Hodgson recognized the accomplishments of the Gold Medal Winners in the MSc, MBA, and EMBA Programs. The award is given to the students achieving the highest average in their respective program:
MSc, Business Analytics - Michael Cao and Adrian Mazzarolo.
MBA Program - Phill Gibson.
MBA Direct - Adam Tulloch.
EMBA Program - Carlo Guido.
The EMBA students also recognized their top professor in the classroom. Named in honour of former dean Carol Stephenson, the Carol Stephenson Excellence in EMBA Teaching Award went to Mary Gillett, a lecturer in Managerial Accounting and Control.
The Pledge Ceremony tradition
The Pledge Ceremony is an honoured tradition at Ivey, in which new graduates commit to preserving the strong collective reputation that has been earned by alumni since the School began in 1922. Begun in spring 2004, Ivey degree-program graduates recite the pledge with the dean, and receive an individually numbered Ivey Ring.
More than 11,000 graduates have taken the pledge and worn the ring since the ceremony's inception.
