As the summer days continues to shine its warmth and glow around us, it is during these times when I often find myself drawn to moments of reflection, appreciation, and discovery. A few weeks ago, we celebrated our Spring 2024 Convocation, where we proudly welcomed more than 6,800 graduates to our Humber Alumni family. Convocation is a time of year when we come together to honour the achievements, exceptional talent, and limitless potential of our graduating students. It marks a significant milestone in their lives and symbolizes the culmination of years of hard work, learning, and personal growth. But beyond the ceremonies, Convocation is also an opportunity for us to reflect on the journey of where we are, how far we have come, and dream about where and how far we can go.  

As I watched our graduates walk across the stage, I was inspired by their determination and optimism about the future – a future that I think about a lot. Over the past 10 months, we have been engaged in conversation about the future of Humber. With Humber Inspired, we took a bold step in charting a new path to envision a future without limits, and to think about the kind of institution we want and the role we want Humber to play in it. I strongly believe that Humber’s future rests on the giant and impactful work that has taken place over the last 57 years. For many years, Humber has been an incredible leader in higher education, evolving into a beacon of innovation, inclusivity, and academic excellence for students from all over the world. We’ve empowered countless individuals to realize their potential, and our impact extends far beyond the boundaries of our campuses. We have the most incredible faculty members, support staff, administrators, and students who are truly the best of the best. Since the day I arrived at Humber, almost two years ago, I have watched in awe of their efforts and dedication.  

We have a long history in providing our students with an unparalleled learning experience. It is them and their passion, creativity, and determination that is at the heart of what we do.  This year alone, we celebrated many student achievements. Take for example, the Humber students who showcased their talents and expertise at this year’s Skills Ontario Competition, winning a total of 14 medals, including seven gold, five silver and two bronze. Student Matthew Redwood not only secured gold in 3D Digital Game Art but was also named Top-Ranking Competitor. At the Skills Canada National Competition, Humber students Cole Hunter and Grant Maddock won a gold medal, while student Justin Paglia brought home a silver medal for Team Ontario. And at this year’s national Map the System competition finals, student Chandra (Nat) Limiarja secured first place after competing against 183 student teams from post-secondary institutions across Canada. These are just a few of the many success stories of how Humber students are thriving and shining every day. 

Humber is and always has been a differentiator. One of the many things that sets us apart is our steadfast commitment to inclusion and belonging. During the Humber Inspired consultations that took place last fall, the Humber community made it clear that they wanted Humber to continue being a leader by advancing equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EDIB) initiatives at Humber and around the province. To do that, we knew we needed to be intentional in our efforts. In April, we celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Inclusion and Belonging division. But our work does not end there. To build on our efforts, this past June, on the eve of National Indigenous Peoples Day, we announced that Humber would continue to advance reconciliation by being the first college in the country to offer free tuition to indigenous students from eight First Nations communities. We chose to do these things not because they were easy or hard, but because they were the right thing to do. We believe that our students and employees belong not only at Humber but also in every workplace, within every facet of society – and as a differentiator we believe in building the change we want to see both at Humber, and around the world. 

We’re also doing our part in the global fight against climate change by fostering a culture of sustainability and leading by example. Our forward-thinking approach to sustainability is central to who we are, and we’ve carved a national and global reputation as a sustainable institution. Not only were we named one of Canada's Greenest Employers for the ninth year in a row by MediaCorp, but we were also proud to receive the Green Building Visionary award at this year’s Canada Green Building Council’s (CAGBC) Building Lasting Change conference for our innovative approaches to advancing green building technology, products, capacity building, policy, design, and operations. As leaders in the post-secondary sector, we’re ensuring that our actions today create a brighter, more sustainable future for generations to come. 

The world around us is changing rapidly every day, and with change comes the necessity to be ready, to truly differentiate, and the responsibility to lead.  Based on everything that I’ve seen from Humber so far, I’m confident that we can be the ones to lead this change not just for Humber, but for our entire sector. Our journey to 2030 and beyond is only getting started, and I’m excited for all that lies ahead, knowing that we’re walking this path, together.  

I want to thank all our dedicated faculty, staff, and the entire Humber community for their hard work this year, and I hope everyone finds the time to step back, recharge, reconnect with your loved ones, and take a well-deserved break during this summer. I look forward to welcoming you back next month at the President’s Breakfast where we will launch our new strategic vision. 

Have a safe and wonderful summer! 

AMV