Trent’s Last Lecture a Final Hoorah for Graduating Students
Current student, alumni & faculty member provide parting words at annual event
With convocation on the horizon, graduating students from all colleges came together in Wenjack Theatre, often the first lecture hall Trent University students sit in, to take part in the Last Lecture on April 6.
The event, which is inspired by the story of Dr. Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University who delivered his final lecture to his students after being diagnosed with cancer, serves as a send-off to graduates and aims to pass on final pieces of knowledge as they prepare for life after Trent. The Last Lecture features addresses from a graduating student who is selected by the graduating class, a distinguished alumna or alumnus, and a faculty member. This year, the speakers were fourth-year Forensic Science and Psychology student Emily Cauduro ’14, researcher and senior evaluation analyst and Trent alumnus Jovan Groen ’01, and principal of Catharine Parr Traill College Dr. Michael Eamon respectively.
“My first class at Trent was a 9:00 a.m. Psychology lecture in Wenjack Theatre. Although I am sad that my journey as a Trent student is coming to an end, the Last Lecture has left me feeling inspired and confident as I enter the next chapter of my life,” said graduating English Literature student Mary Carswell-Gates. “It is so special being here for my last lecture and hearing our speakers’ message of how we can take what we have acquired as students and members of this community wherever we go in the future.”