“It is in changing that we find purpose.” —Heraclitus
Dear Graduating Class of 2020,
On behalf of the Department of Computing Science, I would like to congratulate you for what you have achieved and for the vitality and dynamism you brought to the University of Alberta, and to remind you that we are here for you after your graduation too.
We are bound to remember for the rest of our lives the last several months. Days dissolved into days, deadlines followed deadlines, and we tried to deal the best we could. These times brought to the surface qualities we did not think we possessed, how we listened, bonded, and worked together.
The truth is, none of us was doing the same thing we did before. All of us—sometimes subtly—changed. Our transformation crystallised the purpose of what a University is supposed to be, and what studying means. It made possible for us to step out of the habit for certainties and into the space where humans have excelled: setting new standards, defining their own future, and shaping their own stories.
Holding in your hands a degree parchment is not just demonstration of a personal accomplishment but a demonstration of a common value to education and commitment to a better and resilient society.
You are a lucky generation. I only wish I was graduating today with you.
Congratulations and stay in touch!
— Ioanis Nikolaidis, Acting Chair of the Department of Computing Science