Faculty, friends, and family gathered at the Niagara Falls Convention Centre in downtown Niagara Falls to celebrate graduates in three ceremonies.
University of Niagara Falls Canada (UNF) celebrated its class of graduates at the Fall 2026 Convocation on Friday, Oct. 30, and Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Niagara Falls Convention Centre in downtown Niagara Falls.
Over a thousand students from three programs crossed the stage in front of family, friends, and the UNF community to receive their degrees in three ceremonies that took place over two days.
“Where I come from, in Nigeria,” said Edith Agbons Igiewe in her valedictory address, “they say the palm tree bends in the storm but it does not break…Every graduating student in this room bent at some point in the last two years. Look around, the storm has passed and we are still standing.”
A strategic marketing professional graduating from the Master of Management program, Edith’s moving speech reflected on the inspiring work she and her classmates have done in their time at UNF, their determination, welcoming spirit, and courageous perseverance in withstanding the winters in Niagara Falls.
“We are graduating at a time when much of the work we trained for is being automated or reinvented,” she told graduates. “But the point was never to master one tool. It was to learn how to put emerging technology to work inside a real organization. That skill does not expire.”
Like many of her classmates, Edith came to UNF because emerging technology was reshaping how organizations grow and impacting jobs in new ways. She wanted the formal grounding to lead that change, and UNF’s hands-on, applicable learning focus offered exactly that learning.
“UNF’s programs are designed to equip our students to confront the ever-evolving needs of the global workforce today and in the future,” said Dr. David Gray, President and Vice-Chancellor at UNF. “We are excited to see how these graduates navigate the intricacies of the digital age while leading the way forward in this changing world.”
The morning ceremony began with a procession of the smiling graduates, waving to family and friends who joined the celebration both in person and online.
The Strong Water Singers – an Indigenous-led drum collective based in the Niagara region – led the platform party processional, followed by Dr. David Gray’s introduction of UNF’s inaugural Distinguished Fellow, Professor Li Guishan.
“I am deeply honoured to be recognized as the inaugural Distinguished Fellow of University of Niagara Falls Canada," said Professor Li about the recognition. "I look forward to continuing to support UNF, strengthening its connections across the international academic community, and contributing to the Niagara Falls community that has welcomed the university so warmly.”
Professor Li’s own Mountain Song Choir of Tianjin University of Technology performed Canadian folk song “Red River Valley” for students in the spirit of friendship and connection.
Dr. Sandra Song introduced Valedictorian Edith's Agbons Igiewe stirring speech followed by the conferring of graduate degrees.
Ceremonies concluded with a moment to thank family, faculty, and the Niagara Falls community before inviting the new graduates to join faculty in a proud UNF tradition – a dancing recessional. Faculty and graduates left the hall dancing to music to join their families and friends to celebrate their major achievement.
Congratulations to the graduating class of Fall 2026!
