Memories On The Go: A Joyous Graduation

There are milestones in any parent's lives and both Irene and I had a special day on Tuesday, May 11th celebrating Andrew's graduation with his Bachelor of Social Work degree from York University.

We picked up Marci and headed over to York University for the afternoon convocation. It was a busy place with the multiple convocations going on and it was a bright sunny day.

Andrew was in the Department of Social Work and with having a surname with the letter "S" he was right at the very top of all the rows of seating and one of the last students to receive his degree.

When Andrew was coming in and while waiting at the very beginning we all felt Andrew was beaming and excited for this special day.

Andrew walking in to take his seat at the top and almost last position

After the chancellor, university president, honorary degree recipient and dean of the faculty spoke THEN the degrees were handed out.

There were iMag screens on both sides of the hall allowing us to get close up views of the presentation and so I managed to capture Andrew shaking the hands of the chancellor, Roy McMurtry. It has been a testament to Andrew's hard work, occasional obsessiveness, an incredibly understanding and supportive wife, and his passion for the field of social work, that Andrew achieved summa cum laude - with highest distinction - earning straight A's for all his courses.

Shaking hands with Chancellor, R. Roy McMurtry

For the longest time I was trying to capture a photo of York University's shield emblem and the Latin motto that appeared on a recurring slide presentation before the proceedings started. First time I missed it. Second time someone's head was in the way. Finally, third time lucky.

A reflective motto - personal and university

It was only upon viewing the picture on the camera that I realized the English equivalent for the Latin motto, namely: "The way must be tried."

This seemed all the more fitting for our Andrew.

Sustaining a mild head injury from a fall when he was 17, Andrew had a hard time finishing off high school. He would continue to have difficulties with studying when commencing college and managed to complete a diploma in social service work.

Along the way in his now completed degree program, Andrew has found things difficult but stimulating and has risen above his personal challenges.