June 16, 2025
Congratulations, Class of 2025!
Waterloo welcomes more than 7,700 new graduates to its alumni club and celebrates their bold new journeys
Spring 2025 Convocation was a spectacular celebration of dedication, resilience and triumph. As graduates crossed the stage, their hard work and perseverance shone brightly after navigating some of the most challenging times in recent history, including beginning their degrees during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Across five days and 14 vibrant ceremonies, Waterloo’s campus came alive with the cheers of proud families, friends, faculty and staff — all gathered to honour the incredible accomplishments of our graduating students.
“I was truly inspired by the remarkable accomplishments of our graduates,” says Dr. Vivek Goel, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo. “As each new graduate transitions to Waterloo’s remarkable alumni community, they are poised to tackle global challenges and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future for humanity and our planet.”
Behind the scenes, the magic was made possible by a dedicated team of 207 staff and alumni volunteers, 94 student ambassadors and seven retirees. From ambassadors and ushers to stage support and accessibility assistants, these incredible individuals ensured that every moment ran smoothly for thousands of graduates and their loved ones.
A total of 230 PhD, 957 master’s and 6,155 undergraduate degrees were conferred to new alumni during Spring 2025 Convocation. Here are some of the memorable moments from the ceremonies.
‘Curiosity is my own superpower’
In the chancellor’s address to the Class of 2025, Dr. Jagdeep Bachher (BASc ’93, MASc ’94, PhD ’00) encouraged graduates to unlock new possibilities by remaining curious and embracing the changes occurring around them.
“Waterloo is a place of change, innovation and new, bold beginnings. ‘What supercharges new beginnings?’ Curiosity,” he said. “That means asking audacious questions of yourself and of others.”
Bachher further encouraged graduates to be steadfast in their values in the face of injustice and external pressures.
“What makes me proud to be your chancellor is your courage. The courage to stand up for what’s right, to challenge the status quo, to be kind when it’s easier not to be, and to choose inclusion, humility and decency … even when the world doesn’t reward those things. These are my Sikh values, these are Canadian values, these are human values,” he shared.
Watch the Chancellor’s full speech on YouTube
‘The perfect year to graduate’
On June 11, Faculty of Mathematics valedictorian Keeley Isinghood (BMath ’25) delivered a creative address on why 2025 is the perfect year to graduate from Waterloo. As her fellow mathematicians would appreciate, Isinghood used numbers, equations and percentages to inspire her peers.
“There is something special about the number 2025. 2025 is a perfect square — 45 times 45 gives you 2025,” she explained “Some of you may be thinking that this is not so special, but only those aged 89 or older were alive for the last perfect square year, 1936, and it will be 91 years until the next perfect square year, 2116,” she said. “So, for the majority of us in this room, 2025 is the only perfect square year we will live to see.”
Isinghood also encouraged the graduating class to make the most of every moment even when things don’t seem to add up.
“Our lives are the sums of all the events, the perfect and the imperfect.”
Watch Isinghood’s full speech on YouTube
Remembering Mana Mao (BSc ’25)
After passing away suddenly from a medical issue in December last year, Mana Mao (BSc ’25) was posthumously awarded a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, which was accepted by her mother, Anisa Mohamed and father Hussein Haji. Mao is remembered by her colleagues and professors in the Faculty of Health as a dedicated student and active member in university sports, who also served as a trainer for the women’s volleyball team. In a show of support, the audience stood and applauded for more than two minutes to honour Mao’s achievement.
Watch the moment her degree was awarded
‘You get to carve your own path’
Learning is continuous. This was the message Faculty of Engineering valedictorian Chinemerem Chigbo (BASc ’25) shared with his graduating colleagues on June 14.
“Real learning happens beyond the lectures and labs, in moments when you face problems that weren't listed anywhere on the syllabus,” he shared. “If at any point we stop learning, we stop growing. So don’t just think of yourself as a graduate of the University of Waterloo. Think of yourself as a lifelong undergraduate. Embrace each day with curiosity and a sense of adventure.”
Watch Chigbo's full speech on YouTube
A moment to remember
A proud Faculty of Science graduate celebrates convocation with a heartwarming selfie alongside his baby and the chancellor.
Sarah Dupuis (BA ’25), who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Development Studies (Honours), shares how the accessibility of online education at Waterloo connected her with opportunities she thought to be out of reach.
Together, we celebrated not just a milestone, but the beginning of your bold new journeys. Congratulations, Class of 2025 — your future is bright, and the world is ready for your brilliance.
