Video: What does getting a TMU degree mean to you?
Watch above to hear Samin Barakati, Desneige Frandsen, and Hanen Nanaa talk about what it means to graduate from TMU. (TorontoMet Today/YouTube)
Every convocation comes with special moments - but this year is particularly historic.
Spring 2023 marks the first year that graduates will receive degrees with Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) - the university’s new name - written above their own.
To honour this milestone, TorontoMet Today asked three accomplished graduates - Samin Barakati, Desneige Frandsen, and Hanen Nanaa - what receiving their degree and graduating means to them.
Watch above to meet Barakati, Frandsen and Nanaa and hear their story.
‘This degree isn’t just for me’
Desneige Frandsen is in the first graduating class of the Lincoln Alexander School of Law and one of the first Indigenous law students to graduate from the program.
“It’s an honour,” said Frandsen, who is also working at the Canadian justice charity, Level, which aims to disrupt prejudice, build empathy, and advance human rights. “We’ve started to blaze a trail for those who are going to come after us.”
“This type of career might not have seemed attainable to a lot of people where I’m from. So getting this degree isn't just for me, and it doesn't just mean a lot to me - it means a lot to my mom, my dad, my fiance and everyone in my community who’s supported me along the way,” she said, referring to her Metis community and those in the rural area where she lives – Midland, Lafontaine and Penetanguishene, Ontario.
Mom coming from Iran
Nursing graduate Samin Barakati, winner of the prestigious Dennis Mock Student Leadership Award, Student Experience Awards speaker, co-president of Jack.org TMU Chapter, and member of the TMU Mental Health and Wellbeing Committee, attributes her success to the university’s support.
“From career counseling to research opportunities - all of these things contributed to my professional growth,” she said, adding that she’s most excited that her mom is traveling from Iran to see her graduate - explaining that she’s been alone in Canada since high school, and this will be one of the first milestones they’ll be able to be here for.
Syrian refugee first in family to graduate
Hanen Nanaa, who is graduating with a degree in Politics and Governance, came to Canada as a Syrian refugee. She is the first in her family to graduate from a university.
She’s also the founder of @BAMCollective, Ontario's first youth-led collective, which aims to empower young, equity-seeking individuals through art, policy, innovation and community engagement.
“It means a lot to me, especially as a refugee from Syria… In 2011, I had to leave behind my education, my school, my friends - everything I had as a kid… When I look at receiving this degree, I will remember that this country is a country of opportunity, and I was luckily able to continue my education and graduate. So, I see this degree as an opportunity to grow and make change.”
TMU convocation ceremonies are June 14-27, with 10 notable figures receiving honorary doctorates at ceremonies during this time. View the complete schedule and event details here.
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