Advertisement 1

House of red: Fanshawe College graduates, families pack Budweiser Gardens

On Monday, Fanshawe College had its first in-person graduation since 2019.

Article content

On Monday, Fanshawe College had its first in-person graduation since 2019. In another first, school officials staged the afternoon ceremony at a place better known for London Knights goals and performers such as KISS — downtown’s Budweiser Gardens.

Some of the graduates who gathered, like Cambridge’s Joshua Lima, 20, were just happy to be among their classmates.

Article content

“Honestly, I think it’s great because it’s in person,” Lima said about the idea of graduating at the arena.

And how was Lima feeling about receiving his graduate certificate in advanced police studies? “Honestly, I have no words for it. It’s such a great feeling,” he said, moments later adding he was experiencing an “excited, nervous-type feeling.”

Hunter Twigg, a 19-year-old from Chatham, did the majority of her two-year police foundations program virtually because of COVID restrictions. “It’s honestly been a fast two years,” she said.

Twigg thinks it was a good idea to have the ceremony at Budweiser Gardens. “And with COVID, they could spread us out,” she said. Participants were required to wear masks while attending the function.

Advertisement 2
Story continues below
Article content

Twigg was accompanied by her family. “The Gardens is a beautiful facility, it’s a first-class facility,” said her father, Brad Twigg. The newly minted grad’s brother Braden has played hockey at the Bud many times as a member of the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs, so the Twiggs are well-acquainted with the building.

One person new to the arena was Kitchener’s Myra Cole, 20, also a police foundations grad.

“I’ve never been here, but I like it because it’s in person,” she said. When Cole finished high school, she didn’t get a grad ceremony because of the pandemic, so that made Monday’s ceremony that much more meaningful, she said.

Inside the building, a table was set up with flowers that proud parents could buy for their kids. There was also a table with Fanshawe-branded merchandise, including mugs, water bottles, baseball caps, ties and hoodies. Possibly the cutest knickknack on offer was a plush black-and-red falcon wearing a miniature mortar board.

At about 3:15 p.m., the academic procession was led into the hall by a bagpiper, with grads in bright red gowns and faculty in black.

A low stage was set up at one end of what would normally be the ice surface. Family and friends filled the spectator seats, and the electronic banner that rings the stadium blinked the message, Congratulations Class of 2022.

About 7,000 students will graduate between Monday and Wednesday, the school said.

Fanshawe is one of Ontario’s largest community colleges, with several campuses in Southwestern Ontario, including one in downtown London, and satellite operations in such communities as Simcoe, St. Thomas and Woodstock.

danbrown@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/DanatLFPress

Article content
Comments
You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.
Join the Conversation

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

Latest National Stories
    This Week in Flyers