For Rector Gilles Patry, the University of Ottawa’s Convocation 2004 won’t be just an opportunity to welcome over 5,600 graduates to the alumni family, it will be a chance to catch his breath.
What with a tour of the Atlantic Provinces and Boston in late April and events marking the launch of the Campaign for Canada’s university in Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto, it could be hypothesized that the opportunity to spend some time at the National Arts Centre on June 6 to 8 would be a welcome rest, of a sort.
However, the eight ceremonies over which Patry presides will recognize some of Canada’s most prominent citizens.
Among the list of recipients of honorary doctorates are Philippe Kirsch, president of the International Criminal Court and an internationally-known and respected lawyer and diplomat; renowned writer Marie-Claire Blais, conductor Agnès Grossman, and entrepreneur and community leader Shirley Westeinde.
While it is difficult to choose among so many remarkable graduates, some do stand out. One example is Lydia Di Francesco, the first graduating student in the new International Studies and Modern Languages program.
Di Francesco, who is fluently bilingual and working on becoming trilingual in Spanish, has interned as a Congressional Liaison Assistant at the United Nations Information Center in Washington. Her top-notch academic performance has not prevented her from also compiling an impressive list of volunteer experiences, from president of the University’s Model United Nations club to mentoring other students, playing volleyball, and volunteering at an orphanage in Mexico.
