Congratulations to over 2,500 BCIT students who are crossing the convocation stage this week. We celebrate their achievements and welcome them in now joining the community of 210,000 BCIT alumni who are making a difference across 110 countries.
Each ceremony begun with the land acknowledgement that our campuses are located on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. William George Thomas from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation then led the procession into the auditorium and brought a welcome from the Coast Salish Peoples. Indigenous Women’s Ensemble M’Girl followed with a traditional welcome and celebration song.
Throughout each ceremony, graduates received words of wisdom from keynote speakers, representatives from the BCIT Alumni Association, and their class valedictorian.
Want to show your BCIT pride? Shop Alumni-branded merch including socks, water bottles, umbrellas, and more!
Tuesday, June 24, 10:00am
The first ceremony celebrated over 400 grads from the BCIT School of Business + Media in Accounting, Finance, Insurance and Marketing Management.
The keynote for this ceremony was Ryan Benn, CEO and Group Publisher at Alive Publishing Group and Canada Wide Media. Under his leadership, Alive transformed into a global wellness media powerhouse reaching over 30 million readers worldwide. His work has earned numerous accolades including Marketing Magazine’s Top 30 under 30, Business in Vancouver’s Top 40 under 40, and the CHFA John Holtman Leadership Award.
Having strong ties with BCIT, Ryan is also a BCIT Distinguished Alumni Award recipient and holds a Marketing Diploma in Entrepreneurship from BCIT.
Ryan shared six lessons to the graduating class:
- The climb is the point. “We spend the large majority of our lives climbing mountains, and spend very little time standing at the top. So when you summit – celebrate it.”
- Hard work is a gift. “Dreams become reality through hard work, grit, and perseverance.”
- Nobody has it all figured out. “Success is not a straight line for anyone. The people who look most certain from the outside are figuring it out on the inside, just like you.”
- The right people. “When you have the right people on the journey, anything is possible.”
- Run your own race. “Don’t compare your climb to anyone else’s. Comparison is the thief of joy, and in business it is the thief of focus. Trust your path – even when it looks like nothing like you expected.”
- Find your purpose – and be the hope. “We are living in a pivotal moment. And moments like this don’t ask for perfect people. They ask for purposeful ones.”
Towards the end of the ceremony, BCIT Alumni Association representative Betty Riddle, Manager, Advancement and Communications introduced valedictorian Felix Omondi. Felix is a graduate of the General Insurance and Risk Management Diploma. Sharing his personal experiences, he reminded the graduating class that we are more alike than we are different. In his speech, Felix congratulated each one of the graduates who have shown remarkable dedication by showing up day in and day out throughout their BCIT journey.
“So as we move forward, let’s be confident that we are well equipped. Equipped to make new friends. Equipped to set a goal and achieve it. Equipped to rise beyond difficult moments. Equipped to make a difference,” shared Felix.
Tuesday, June 24, 2:30pm
Almost 500 students from the BCIT School of Business + Media’s Business Administration, Business Management and Operations Management.
Mark Hermans, Retired President, Microsoft Business Unit, Argano LLC was the keynote speaker for this ceremony. Mark is a business and technology leader and a proud BCIT alum of the BCIT Operations Management program. Throughout his career, Mark has held senior leadership roles across three continents. Since his partial retirement at the end of 2025, he remains deeply connected with post-secondary institutions, having taught various courses at BCIT and mentoring Master of Business Administration (MBA) students at the UBC Sauder School of Business.
Addressing the rapid wave of Artificial Intelligence, Mark emphasized that the world is changing quickly. “We live in a world of perpetual change. Embrace that, because it is where your relevance is the greatest – at the intersection of people and technology.” He spoke about the need for leadership, and resilience, and teamwork – skills that every BCIT student learned to master by the end of their program. At the end of his speech, Mark encourages graduands to be curious. He says, “Your education does not end here, this is the beginning of a lifetime of learning.”
Valedictorian Ethan Van Dyk, who is graduating from the Bachelor of Business Administration – Global Business program, shared his personal journey to becoming the graduate he is today at BCIT. At the end of his speech, Ethan said very eloquently, “We chose to come here not because we knew exactly where it would lead, but because we believed that the person waiting on the other side would be worth becoming, even if the journey was hard.”
