The Charles V. Keating Centre hummed with pride and promise on May 3 as students, families, faculty, and friends gathered at StFX for Spring Convocation 2026, a milestone for many that’s been years in the making. Nearly 1,100 students, one of the university’s largest graduating classes, crossed the stage in morning and afternoon ceremonies, stepping into their next chapter.
The day of celebration also included the conferral of three honorary degrees.
Natalie MacMaster, one of Canada’s most celebrated fiddlers; Mi’kmaw Elder Kerry Prosper ’09, whose decades of leadership have advanced Mi’kmaq cultural practices and strengthened advocacy; and Mark Wallace ’80, a respected business leader and philanthropist, all received the degree Doctor of Laws honoris causa. (For full honorary degree bios, please see HERE.)
Four faculty members were also feted with major distinctions during the ceremonies, recognizing their outstanding work.
Dr. Susan Vincent, Department of Anthropology, was awarded the designation of Professor Emerita. Dr. Darien DeWolf, Department of Math & Statistics, was honoured with StFX’s Outstanding Teaching Award, while the President’s Research Award was presented to Dr. Kailin Wright, Department of English, and the University Research Award to Dr. Charlene Weaving, Department of Human Kinetics. (Full faculty bios can be found HERE.)
Real success is not a solo journey
“Your greatest impact in life will not come from what you achieve yourself, it’s what you will help others achieve,” Dr. Wallace said in an inspirational speech to graduates during the morning convocation.
“Real success is not a solo journey.”
Success, he said, comes in the moments you choose to lift someone up, that you hold the ladder to help another. These small actions have a way of compounding.
“When you help others succeed, you don’t fall behind, you move forward together.”
Carry the values of StFX, that sense of belonging to something bigger than yourself, Dr. Wallace told graduates. “Go forward with ambition yes, but also with humility,” he said. “People will remember how you made them feel. They will remember that you helped them rise.”
Dr. Wallace, who shared how StFX has been an enormous part of his life, remembered his own graduation, sitting in the audience full of ambition and a little uncertainty. “If I’m being honest, I didn’t have it all figured out then, and if I’m being more honest, I still don’t.
“You don’t have to have it all figured out.”
Life is shaped by moments you don’t expect, by people who take a chance on you, and taking a chance on yourself. Be open to opportunity, to failure and to growth, he said.
Remain a student at heart
“I’m just here to say thanks. This is an incredible honour,” Dr. MacMaster said in heartfelt remarks that concluded with a stirring fiddle performance that had the capacity crowd clapping along.
“I’m incredibly honoured to receive this beautiful degree from St. Francis Xavier University,” she said, “one of the highest ranking universities in the world, from my heart.”
Dr. MacMaster offered advice to the graduates, telling them it will be wonderful if they can always remain a student at heart, and not limit their dreams. “Be open, maintain that spirit. It keeps you humble. That’s how you will flourish,” she said.
“I’ve gained so much by being open,” she noted, as she encouraged the students to believe in something and to put themselves out there. She also advised the students to remember where they come from—this is your anchor, the real heart of who you are.
In thinking about what she can impart to the crowd, Dr. MacMaster said she decided to “play a little tune,” noting that “sometimes music transcends words.” As she played a moving slow air that transitioned into a faster tune, the crowd rose for a standing ovation.
Use knowledge, culture and compassion to shape a better future
“Thank you so much. It is a great honour. It has been quite a journey,” said Elder Dr. Prosper, Elder in Residence at StFX, who delivered an emotional address during the afternoon convocation that reflected on his life, education, and gratitude, especially toward his family and in particular his mother. He described her as the foundation of life. Using the idea of the drumbeat as the heartbeat of both people and creation, he connected themes of home, resilience, and renewal, encouraging graduates to see this spring moment as their own beginning, a time to grow and contribute in their own ways.
“Today is a special day. It is a new beginning,” he noted. “And the beat of creation is this time of year, spring, when everything is coming alive, everything is renewing. You are here graduating in the spring. You are coming alive. You are going to flower, to bring things to this earth.”
He also spoke about his academic journey, about struggles and successes, including as an anthropology student at StFX documenting Indigenous history and the ongoing challenge of proving identity despite deep ancestral roots stretching back 8,000 years.
Emphasizing hope and reconciliation, he urged graduates to care for their overall well-being and to use their knowledge, culture, and compassion to shape a better future. “We have created hope for all of us.”
Remember those core Xaverian values
“Graduates, this is your day,” StFX President & Vice-Chancellor Dr. Andy Hakin said in welcoming remarks.
“A new page is being turned. Your story so far has provided you with the tools, but now you’re in the application phase. You’re looking to see what comes next,” he said. “Don’t worry. You’re ready.”
Always remember those core Xaverian values, he advised. Make a positive difference. Give back to your communities.
Dr. Hakin noted the magnificent gift the university received over the weekend from the Honorable Frank ’70 and Julie ’72 McKenna and their family, alumni who gave the largest single private philanthropic gift StFX has ever received. Their $20 million dollar commitment will establish The McKenna Scholars Program, a groundbreaking new undergraduate scholarship initiative. “That’s an unbelievable act of generosity, it’s a belief in what we do as a university makes a difference, that you will make a difference.
“That is leadership. That is a belief in giving back. It is so important.”
Be bold, he told the graduates. We need your skills and ability, your voices of calm, reason, and civility.
“Above all, be kind. Kindness is no weakness. Kindness is a superpower,” he said. “It changes the environment when you are kind to people. It will make a difference.”
Success will come in many forms
“Today, we celebrate your hard work and perseverance and this remarkable milestone,” Chancellor Dr. Mila Mulroney said in opening convocation.
“If I can leave you with one idea, it is this: your life is not fixed. It is not a straight line. It is something you can shape and reshape and reimagine,” she said as she shared examples from her family, including her father who began his career in law, but followed his true calling to medicine, and later started a new life in coming to Canada.
Don’t be afraid to take the path that feels right to you and try not to measure yourself against anyone else’s timelines. “Graduates, success will come in many forms. It may not look exactly the way you imagined it would. And that’s okay. Sometimes the life you didn’t plan turns out to be the life that fits you best.”
So, stay curious. Work hard. Be kind. Be generous with your time and patient with your progress. Hold onto the lessons learned at StFX and surround yourselves with those who challenge you and bring out your best, she said. Because a full life is not only built on achievement, but also on everyday moments, in your friendships, your family, and your ability to find meaning and happiness.
Courage, connection, and calibre of graduates
“I’m thrilled to be graduating alongside you,” said morning senior class speaker Adnan Coban, a graduate of StFX’s Gerald Schwatz School of Business, who related how he was inspired to attend the university by a teacher, a StFX grad. He remembers coming from northern Alberta and being nervous but having the courage, “that defining trait that brings us together,” to explore the unknown. “It’s our collective responsibility to bring that courage out to the world,” he told graduates.
Inclusion is what makes this institution so special to me, he noted. “Take the feeling and bring it out in the world...I am joyful knowing the calibre of gradates joining the alumni network today.”
Value the connections you’ve built, said afternoon senior class speaker Allyson Lightfoot, a graduate of StFX’s Rankin School of Nursing. Even though everyone’s experiences in reaching this point have been different, we are all connected and it’s a beautiful thing to have this connection. “We are fortunate enough to have gone to a school with an unmatched community.” Ms. Lightfoot also encouraged fellow graduates to honour how far they’ve come, to learn from both successes and failures, and to embrace uncertainty as opportunity as they move into the future.
Alumni Association President Mike Gillis ’87 shared three quick stories that illustrated Xaverian connection and asked graduates to turn their X-Rings around so that the year is facing outward to show that both they and their ring are now ready to face the world.
Most Reverend Bishop Wayne Joseph Kirkpatrick, Vicar of the Founder of StFX, delivered the benediction. University Chaplain Fr. Donald MacGillivray ’79 offered the invocation.
New this year, African drumming by the Strait Area Drummers helped open the ceremony.
StFX Indigenous Student Advisor Cynthia Sewell performed the Mi’kmaq Honour Song.
To see the full list of 2026 StFX graduates and medalists, please see HERE.
