A Virtual Celebration of UBC Sociology’s 2020 Graduates



To the graduating class of 2020,

UBC Sociology wishes you a heartfelt congratulations on your graduation. Completing a degree is no easy feat, doing so during a global pandemic is even more impressive. While we regret that we are not able to celebrate in person this year, we have created a virtual celebration for you to enjoy. Below you will find a video featuring messages from the faculty congratulating you on your tremendous achievement and an online yearbook with words from your fellow classmates.

UBC Sociology thanks you for your perseverance, your patience, and your contribution to our school. We can’t wait to see what you do next and hope you stay in touch with your community here.

A message from the Faculty

2020 Graduates Yearbook

‘What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?’ - Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Congratulations to the class of 2020, and a big thank you to UBC Sociology and all the professors that taught us so much. Wishing everyone the best post grad and regardless of your path remember to always lead with kindness.

"What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead" -Nelson Mandela

Congratulations to the class of 2020! Though none of us have thought to hold a virtual ceremony this year, surprisingly, it is happening now! All of us deserve a big round of applause for the efforts we have made in this arduous journey! I wish you success in all your future endeavours!

Psalms 27: 13-14 “I will remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

I’m thankful for everyone who’s been apart of my journey at UBC and will forever cherish the moments and experiences that have moulded me into the person I am. Today, not only marks the day I turn 23 but also marks the day for my (virtual) graduation ceremony. Although this wasn’t how I expected my UBC journey to end, this does an excellent job in summarizing my whole experience at UBC...unique and unpredictable. I couldn’t have asked for a better day or way to start the next chapter of my life. I look forward to all the challenges and memories that lie ahead.

On my first day at UBC, I pictured the day I would graduate. Although, I didn't imagine my graduation ceremony quite like this, I am thankful for all the incredible memories and adventures at UBC. I want to thank all my family and friends who have supported me over the years. I am very proud of everyone in this years graduation class and I wish the best for everyone in their future careers to come. We were always a class to remember, but now our graduation ceremony is one to remember as well. Cheers to the class of 2020!

Thank you UBC for the extraordinary four years! See you all on the other side.

I would not be where I am today if it weren't for the continuous support of my family. Thank you for believing in me. Impossible without you. Gracias Mamá y Papá. Los quiero muchoooo!!!

A shout out to the sociologist C. Wright Mills, I will forever go through life with the lens of the sociological imagination. A thank you to all the professors that took the extra time to provide me with help and guidance, you are an inspiration to me and a model for the kind of educator I wish to be like in my future.

To us. Congratulations to the Class of 2020. Look how far we've come!

This path has been so unexpected. But unexpected is good because I have learned to love the beauty of the small things. Congrats to all who have achieved this goal ... And cheers for a future filled with dreams and strength to achieve them.

Appreciate your help, and everything you did.

I would like to thank every single family member and friend who made this a possibility... You have all made sure that I always continue follow my dreams and never compromise on them. Without all of you, I would not be who I am today. Additionally, I would like to thank the faculty of Sociology for providing me with an undergraduate experience that has continuously challenged and helped expand my mindset as well as grow as a person. Finally, to all the graduates of 2020... congratulations! And i wish you all the best in your future endeavours. 

Congratulations everyone!

Congratulations to all 2020 graduates. I hope you all find success in whatever path you choose. Georgios Petrou
And away we go.

Congratulations to the Sociology Class of 2020!

Wish all of you the best of luck!

I’m so happy to be graduating with all of you. Sorry it had to be like this for us all.

Shoutout to Ma & Pa. Couldn't have done it without you guys.

Thank you UBC ! I will be forever grateful for my time spent and the friendships I have made.

Sociology has changed how I see the world as well as the type of person I strive to be. I feel incredibly grateful to have been introduced to this great discipline through UBC's warm and welcoming sociology department! To all the mentors, friends, and peers I have met along the way who made my long undergraduate degree so meaningful, thank you! 

It’s a good new start.

Everybody always says graduation is a time of uncertainty - class of 2020 really took it up another level!

Throughout my time at UBC I have met many smart and interesting people. Whether it be professors or new friends, I am so glad that I was able to learn from you and be a part of this graduating class. I want to thank those who have helped me along the way and I hope I am able to give back more than what I gained during my studies at UBC. Thanks for the amazing experiences and great memories!

I’m better than I think.

I can confidently say that the last 5 years at UBC have shaped me to become the person I am today. Although we will not get a proper in-person send off, I would like to express many thanks to the professors and peers who have helped me achieve this milestone. From all the late-night studies, crunch sessions, group projects, and constant memorization of sociological theories - it has definitely been a whirlwind. A period in my life which I will carry throughout my future. Wishing everyone all the best in their future careers, and look forward to seeing what's to come.

The knowledge and experiences I have accumulated over my undergrad has allowed me to understand the ways in which the world operates around me, and with that I know are capable of achieving greatness - we have always been told it is ours. Together we have embarked on an incredible academic journey, that has been both challenging and rewarding in its own ways, and although celebrating our graduation amidst a time of global uncertainty is much different than what we antipcated, it is very much telling of our strength, dedication and preservrance that can never and will never be held by back by any obstacle that comes our way. I am honoured to say that UBC has contributed to paving the way for me to grow and develop into the resilient graduate that I am today. I anticipate the success that is to yet to come. To my fellow UBC graduates, take what you have learned and project it into the world - tuum est.

“The difficulty, in sociology, is to manage to think in a completely astonished and disconcerted way about things you thought you had always understood” (Pierre Bourdieu). Thank you to all my professors and classmates who have changed my perception of society, this major has completely changed my life.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less travelled by. And that has made all the difference. - Robert Frost

Eternally grateful for my family, friends, profs & the experiences & choices I’ve made in my undergrad. ❤️

We are a part of a graduating class that will be remembered for years to come for the circumstances with which we approach graduation. Take pride in being a 2020 graduate ready to take on the world! "Your story is what you have, what you will always have. It is something to own" - Michelle Obama

"The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it." -Thucydides

I would like to say thank you for my family to support me to finish my degree since I had a hard time to continue study although they can’t join the graduate ceremony. I also want to say thank you to friends and professors who I met through class!!

The last 5 years at UBC has been such an amazing, blessed, unforgettable time of my life. I have experienced, learnt, and grown so much, and I'm really excited to see what my future holds! Congratulations to the grads of 2020!!

To the class of 2020: as hard as it was, we pulled through this, and I like to think it shows we can pull through so much more. So congrads! Lastly, to my closest family and (artsy) friends, who know who they are - thank you for being my light on the darkest days, and in so doing gave me the last ounce of courage I never knew I needed.

Graduation is an exciting time. It marks both an ending and a beginning; it’s warm memories of the past and big dreams for the future. Congrats, I did it! Many thanks to UBC!

“Did you ever see the way the clouds love a mountain? They circle all around it; sometimes you can’t even see the mountain for the clouds. But you know what? You go up top and what do you see? His head. The clouds never cover the head. His head pokes through, because the clouds let him; they don’t wrap him up. They let him keep his head up high, free, with nothing to hide him or bind him”

— Toni Morrison

While there is a part of me that is sad to say goodbye to UBC, I am excited to see what the future holds. I wish all of the 2020 grads the best of luck.

Always be brave to embrace the intuition in your heart.

Congratulations to the graduating class of 2020! It has been an incredible four years, full of new perspectives and personal development. I am humbled to have studied in the faculty of Sociology and I know I will carry everything I learned with me throughout my entire life. Most importantly, I have realized my responsibility to always strive to learn and to remember to be open to difference. I think these thoughts are best encompassed by Bob Marley's famous words: "None but ourselves can free our minds." Thank you, UBC!

“Peter did not feel very brave; indeed, he felt he was going to be sick. But that made no difference to what he had to do.” - C. S. Lewis, Chronicles of Narnia 

First thing first, I have to express my gratitude to my family and friends for all the support. Thank you UBC for all the efforts invested during this strange time. Special thanks to my parents whom are always supportive with all the decisions I made in my academic career and just of my life in general. I see the graduation as an end and also a new beginning of a new chapter in my life, for there are still so much I want to explore and experience. Road to graduation was a bumpy one but it was fun nonetheless, and the experience gives me the courage to face any obstacles in the future and I will cherish them forever. I never get to visit the Anthropology museum but you need some regrets as it is a motivation to come back. Last of all, congratulations to all the unfamiliar fellow grads of 2020, I for sure will get to meet y'all in the future. For now, peace out UBC!

"You are where you are because of where you were, but where you go depends on where you choose to be"

Thank you to my parents for your unconditional selflessness the best gift you have ever given me. I owe you all good in my life to you. You both have fostered and passion in me and i promise to always work my hardest. I’m so lucky to have you both.

I’m not sure what happened but here I am with a degree in my hand. Next step: adopt a cat.

This is one of the most exciting moment in my life. I would like to thank everyone for your company for these years, especially to my parents who offered me the chance and assistance. Wish you all a good start after graduation, and I hope that we can meet again some day!

Stop following the path of least resistance.

"Take every chance drop every fear. Only you can control your future." -Dr.Seuss

Time to forget everything I've learned and go be exploited!

My undergraduate years at UBC have been shaped largely by the friends I have made, the clubs I have joined, the professors that have taught me, and the classes I have learned in. Coming into the Faculty of Arts as a first year student, I didn't know what I wanted to major in or what courses I wanted to explore. While browsing through what seemed like an endless list of course options, I remember being very curious about the Introduction to Sociology course. Taking SOCI 100A opened my eyes to many different perspectives and made me challenge concepts and norms that I believed to be true and right. Although my undergraduate years consisted of many highs and many lows and at times feeling lost along the way, my decision to major in Sociology and minor in Family Studies served as a constant throughout my journey. I am so grateful for the strong, genuine, and kind friends who have made my years at UBC that much more enjoyable. I will cherish the handful of professors and teacher assistants who have challenged, inspired, and noticed me. I would like to thank my family, friends, significant other, professors, and teacher assistants who have positively impacted my years at UBC. Congratulations to the Class of 2020 and I wish you all the best! 

I am so excited to be graduating this year and for having had the chance to be a teaching assistant in the Sociology department during my last year at UBC. I will never forget the best years of my life studying Sociology! 

Feels like I've been working towards this day forever. Couldn't have done it without my family, my girls and my love. Thank you all for the love, support and patience throughout this crazy journey.

Big thanks to the support provided by the faculty, staff and friends. UBC will always hold a special place in my heart.

In one of my favorite videos currently, a person quotes the popular saying "tough time[s] never last. Only tough people last" In spirit of being a SOCI major, I can't resist briefly thinking critically about this statement and so here's a short reflection: to be tough requires finding support and supporting others to persevere in tough moments. That is how we last. And one way to support and to be supported is to celebrate others and be celebrated. And so I congratulate you all, fellow SOCI majors on achieving this milestone of graduation! Here's to persevering through the tough times of uni life or life in general. Remember “tough time[s] never last. Only tough people last"

Congratulations to all 2020 graduates. I hope you all find success in whatever path you choose.

Thanks to everyone that supported me through this chapter of my life! On to the next!

It's been fun, thank you to all the amazing professors teaching Sociology.

I’d like to thank all of my family, friends, professors, and fellow students who truly believed in me throughout my undergrad. I’m very thankful for the time spent at UBC and will cherish these moments forever. Congratulations to the class of 2020 on your well-deserved success. Best wishes for your next adventure!

 

Congratulations to the graduating class of 2020! We made it....finally!

Sometimes it's hard to look to the future, but it will come and you will overcome.

I wish it could have been longer. But, I am grateful for what I have acquired and the opportunities available for me.

Congratulations to all my fellow graduates! A special thank you to anyone I ever did a group project with because y'all were always the bomb dot com 🙂

”Learned, Enjoyed, Improved, Appreciated"

Shout out to Caroline Sanner and Thomas Kemple for making me feel like I chose the right degree!

I wish to thank all of the faculty and staff in the Department of Sociology for making my undergraduate degree so enriching and rewarding. Throughout my years at UBC, I have taken a wide variety of sociology courses (as well as across other disciplines) that have further informed, or changed in some way, how I see the world. Burawoy (2014) argues that “sociology as a whole is an inconvenient truth” and encourages us to unpack common sense ideas about how the world works while partnering with those most impacted. I hope that I can take all that I have learned at UBC and help those experiencing these inconvenient truths. To the graduating class of 2020, I wish you all the best in your future endeavours. Stay safe.

I would still choose to major in Sociology if you ask me.

If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything.

"If you can dream it, you can do it" - Walt Disney

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning how to dance in the rain."- Vivian Greene Congratulations to the Class of 2020.  

I am so happy and thrilled that I am finally graduating. I have learnt a lot in the past few years of my study at UBC; somethings that I will always carry with me as I go through life. This is just a beginning to many more opportunities and I can't wait for what is coming next. Congratulations to my fellow graduates, we made it.

Thankful for the experience, and excited for the future!

Thank you to my friends and family for your endless love and guidance. UBC, thank you for all the amazing experiences and memories. Congratulations to the Class of 2020!

Congrats to the grad class of 2020.

It was a fun 4 years. Stay safe everyone!

Three years went by so fast. I will miss running from Anso to Swing every class, fighting for a seat in Irving, hearing a jack hammer all day, being attacked by squirrels, watching people storm the wall, and lining up during rush hour at Tims.

The road to success leads to infinite possibilities, despite having a path of ideal success and accomplishments. It doesn't always occur the way we expect it, but every thing happens for a reason and every success has a failure story in toll. Failure isn't the end. Failure is not final.

Even though this is not how we had imagined our graduation to be like, I would like to thank the Sociology Department for hosting this virtual celebration for the Class of 2020. There is so much uncertainty navigating post-grad life during a global pandemic, but I have no doubt that my fellow classmates will do just fine. Happy Graduation and I wish everyone all the best in their future endeavours! "You see, we may encounter many defeats, but we must not get defeated" - Maya Angelou 

This is not the end, but the start.

It is my great honor to complete my bachelor's degree at the University of British Columbia, and celebrating this precious moment with our faculty members, students, and friends. We will get through this together as we always do.

Life is a leaf of paper white, there on each of us may write his/her own word. There is a limit to one's youth, but no limit to his/her wisdom. Draw on the limitless wisdom during the short span of youth. Character decided the fate, and knowledge changes our's fate. Wish you a bright future and a joyful life.