Largest grad class ever at UBCO

UBC Okanagan’s Class of 2022 is the largest group of graduates in the Kelowna campus’s history.

Today and Friday (JUne 9-10), UBCO will confer more than 2,400 degrees in six different graduating ceremonies.

it’s also the first in-person convocation ceremony in over two years, with the events held virtually in 2020 and 2021.

“We are always proud of our students,” said UBCO Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Dr. Lesley Cormack. “But the students graduating this year have completed their studies under circumstances they couldn’t have imagined when they embarked on this journey. Their success during these unusual times proves how hard they have worked and how determined they are.”

Many of the students receiving their undergraduate degrees this year have spent more than two years learning online and through remote lectures, labs and exams. And it hasn’t been easy.

Ozren Petkovic started his studies in 2018, to work towards his Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. When the pandemic was declared in 2020, Petkovic hunkered down at home, determined to complete his degree. But he made a point of keeping in touch with his friends, organizing virtual chats and regular game nights.

Despite doing much of his education remotely, Petkovic remained involved in campus life and is the recipient of UBCO’s Golden Apple Teaching Award for supporting learning outside the classroom. He has also been a member of the orientation team for the past few years, and has worked with several different departments supporting student learning and engagement on the UBCO campus—including being a supplemental learning leader, peer mentor, chemistry course union tutor and president of the pre-med club.

If he was to advise a new student, Petkovic would tell them to take their education one step at a time—don’t rush through these years—and do some learning away from the classroom.

“Finishing university is a marathon rather than a sprint. There is no need to overexert yourself in your first few years when you have more to go,” he said. “And yes, university is about going to class but it is also what you do outside of class. If you are new at university, find something you are passionate about, join that club and get involved.”