Largest Class Ever Graduates at NYIT-Vancouver

NYIT-Vancouver celebrated the Class of 2018 at a graduation ceremony on June 1 at the Telus World of Science in Vancouver. This year’s 172 graduates, who all earned master’s degrees, represent the largest group in NYIT-Vancouver’s history. President Hank Foley, Ph.D., Associate Provost (then Interim Provost) Lou Reinisch, Ph.D., and Interim Dean of NYIT School of Engineering and Computing Sciences Babak D. Beheshti, Ph.D., were present for the occasion.

The night before graduation, new alumni joined others at NYIT-Vancouver’s annual alumni reception at the Rooftop Pavilion of the Vancouver Art Gallery, near NYIT’s Downtown Vancouver campus. More than 140 guests reconnected in the beautiful urban setting. Although most of NYIT-Vancouver’s alumni are not originally from Canada, many have found jobs in the area and maintain connections with their alma mater.

More than 100 alumni gathered at the Rooftop Pavilion of the Vancouver Art Gallery the night before graduation.

At graduation, President Foley congratulated the class and reminded them that their success will affect NYIT and its graduates who come after them. “You are NYIT’s legacy,” he said. Vancouver Campus Dean Irene Young added her congratulations, after which President Foley conferred the master’s degrees in information, network, and computer security (M.S.); energy management (M.S.); or business administration (M.B.A.).

Two awards were presented at the ceremony, one from graduates to a selected faculty member and another from faculty to a selected graduate. NYIT School of Management’s Amba Sekhar, Ph.D., was honored with the “Extra Mile Award” in recognition of his efforts in organizing NYIT-Vancouver’s first field trip to China. New M.B.A. recipient Valentina Lameda received NYIT-Vancouver’s Valedictorian Award for outstanding academic achievement and praiseworthy contributions to NYIT-Vancouver’s student life.

Lameda started her valedictory speech by saying, “Being from Caracas, Venezuela, and obtaining my bachelor’s degree back home, I would never have imagined being in a classroom with people from so many countries like Nigeria, Sudan, India, Philippines, Mexico, China, Bangladesh, and many more. This experience has allowed me to gain a better understanding of other cultures and be open to different experiences I may not have been used to in the past.” Lameda concluded by encouraging her classmates to “always give your best, and if things don’t go as planned, remember how far you’ve come and keep going further.”