Convocation

The importance of community: Overcoming grief and creating a meaningful impact

When Alya Alhalabi arrived at Algonquin College at 19, she was grieving the loss of her father and navigating life alone in a new country, far from her home in the United Arab Emirates. She had no family in Canada and lived independently, moving between rentals and trying to find stability while studying full-time.

Alhalabi landed in Canada to begin again, seeking a community and roots beyond the classroom. She chose Algonquin College for its reputation with hands-on learning, gaining much more along the way than she initially expected.

Despite how vulnerable she felt at the time, the College became the place where she grew into the person she is today — a woman, a leader and a passionate advocate for public safety and emergency management. Beyond her Bachelor of Public Safety education, she also found a home. She was the only Emirati student on campus, yet she never felt alone. Alhalabi credits her professors — Graham Newbold, Mario D’Angelo, Ian Knowles and Dominique Germain — for believing in her and playing a pivotal role in her growth. Her classmates became her family away from home.

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Meet our Pembroke Campus Valedictorian Vasiliki (Vicki) Alexopoulos Read

As we prepare for the upcoming 2025 Spring Convocation, we are pleased to highlight our valedictorians who will be speaking to their respective classes during their ceremonies.

Vicki is the valedictorian from the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at our Pembroke Campus.

She has been a leader, a representative and an advocate, often organizing annual Basic Life Support certifications for the entire class, acting as a class rep and working with the Undergraduate Nursing Student Association on behalf of our campus. She is loved by students and faculty.

More information about the Algonquin College convocation ceremonies can be found here. Continue reading

Meet our AC Online Valedictorian Michelline Nesrallah

As we prepare for the upcoming 2025 Spring Convocation, we are pleased to highlight our valedictorians who will be speaking to their respective classes during their ceremonies.

Michelline Nesrallah is our AC Online valedictorian who is graduating from the Human Resources Management program.

Michelline achieved excellent grades in the program while working full-time in her demanding job as area manager with the Ministry of the Solicitor General within the Ontario Public Service.

In addition, Michelline also earned her Human Resource Management Graduate Certificate at the same time as she worked through the Graduate Certificate program.

More information about the Algonquin College convocation ceremonies can be found here.

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