“What kind of ancestor do you want to be?”

This was the question valedictorian Fernanda Sánchez asked her fellow graduates at St. �Ļ�ӰԺ University’s 2026 Spring Convocation. She spoke to the 290 graduates who were receiving degrees in arts, applied arts, and social work.

“This question was introduced to me in one of my journalism classes this past year.  It’s not a question I expected to be asking myself at 22 years old.  But once it was asked, I couldn’t forget it.”

Throughout the year, Fernanda reflected on how her time at STU – both in and out of the classroom – would impact what kind of ancestor she wants to be.

 

"I suspect we have all come to realize that the person we were becoming, the independent thinkers we all want to be, was shaped not only by academics, but by the community we were building with those around us at STU," she said.

“I now know what type of ancestor I want to be, the kind of ancestor St. �Ļ�ӰԺ University has built me to become,” she says. “The kind of person who says ‘yes’ to new opportunities and is not afraid to speak their mind, someone who addresses challenges with honesty and perseveres to find the light at the end of the tunnel. Whether that light is far away or within reach is not what matters.  What matters is that we are willing to pursue it and help it shine on others.  And that is the true legacy that we are passing onto future generations.”

The Enduring Impact of a STU Education

 

President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. M. Nauman Farooqi spoke to the students about the value of a liberal arts education.

“The knowledge and skills that will be valued most in the years to come will be those that are uniquely human.  They are what you have acquired at STU — critical thinking, creativity, and adaptability,” he said.

“Your working life will extend across many decades with many employers, new technologies, and different sectors. But what you have learned will never become obsolete.”

Recognizing Remarkable Citizens

 

During the ceremony, the university bestowed honorary degrees upon journalist Harry Forestell and community patrons Harrison McCain and Marion McNair McCain.

Harry Forestell is a journalist whose professional achievements have been noteworthy and whose public service advocacy has been inspirational. An alumnus of STU, Forestell has had a front-row seat to the news and newsmakers in Europe, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Following work as a CBC producer, he accepted assignments in the UK for the BBC World Service and National Public Radio. After serving as CBC-TV's business correspondent for Europe, he returned to Canada in 1999 as a correspondent for The National and host of the CBC News Morning Show. He was named anchor of CBC News for New Brunswick in 2010. Over his career, he regularly volunteered for community and social organizations, and in 2015, following his own diagnosis, he became a supporter of Parkinson's Canada. In 2024 he was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for his interview with actor and Parkinson’s advocate Michael J. Fox. His openness in living with Parkinson’s has been courageous.

Both H. Harrison McCain, CC, ONB and Marion (Billie) McNair McCain believed strongly in supporting community projects in their beloved New Brunswick and the Atlantic Provinces. Since 1997, the Harrison McCain Foundation has been a champion of education, arts, science, health, and the environment. Marion McCain believed that artists in the region should be recognized more widely, and she sponsored a series of art exhibitions beginning in the late 1980s. Today, the Marion McCain Atlantic Art Exhibitions and the publication “BILLIE” continues her dedication to promoting artists, and the Marion McCain Institute of Atlantic Art at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery ensures that her commitment to the arts continues.

At St. �Ļ�ӰԺ University, support from the Harrison McCain Foundation has been instrumental in supporting the Wabanaki Centre, and STU now has the second highest percentage of Indigenous students in the country. In addition, Harrison McCain Foundation Bursaries have meant that many STU students have received funding to pursue their education, and Harrison McCain Research Grants have supported faculty. These transformative gifts are a living legacy of two proud New Brunswickers.

St. �Ļ�ӰԺ Installs New Chancellor

 

During the ceremony, the university also formally installed its new Chancellor, Sandra Irving, CM, ONB.

“I believe very strongly in the transformative value of education, and supporting equitable learning opportunities for all students,” she said. “Under the leadership of Dr. Farooqi, STU is making that happen.”

Sandra Irving is a champion of higher education and a long-standing supporter of students. With her late husband Arthur, she has made many significant and transformative contributions to higher education in New Brunswick and across Canada. Through philanthropy and leadership, they have helped to increase student access to higher education, elevate scholarly excellence, and support the vitality of post-secondary institutions. As Chair of the President's Advisory Council of the Royal Society of Canada, she encouraged wider recognition of leading professors and researchers, and assisted the Royal Society in engaging emerging scholars, youth, and students from First Nations.

 

University Medals

• University Medal for Arts: Michaela Hansen from New Maryland, NB (Bachelor of Arts, Majors in Psychology and Criminology and Criminal Justice, and a Minor in History)
• University Medal for Social Work: Shelby Harnish from Fredericton, NB (Bachelor of Social Work)
• Governor General's Medal: Beatrix Culligan from Fredericton, NB (Honours in Psychology)

Tom McCann Award

Ana Lucía Pavón Servellón from Tegucigalpa, Honduras, is the recipient of the Tom McCann Memorial Trophy. The award is presented to a student who possesses strong leadership, character, and personality traits and best portrays the university's spirit through their contributions.

 

Honouring Faculty Members

St. �Ļ�ӰԺ University honoured three faculty members for their professional achievements and impact on the university.

• Dr. �Ļ�ӰԺ Bateman (Political Science) is the recipient of the John McKendy Memorial Teaching Award
• Dr. Shaun Narine (Political Science and International Relations) is the recipient of the University Scholarship Award
• Dr. Jamie Gillies (Communications and Public Policy is the recipient of the University Service Award