CMU celebrates Class of 2026
The CMU Class of 2026
Ninety-one undergraduate and graduate students celebrated the completion of their degrees at Canadian Mennonite University's 25th annual convocation ceremony on Saturday, April 25.
Knox United Church was full of faculty, staff, students, family, and friends, celebrating the accomplishments of the Class of 2026 as another academic year came to a close.
Rev. Elder Vince Solomon began the service with a prayer of welcome before CMU President Cheryl Pauls gave her opening remarks: "With joy we honour their disciplined competence, courage, wisdom, and wonder. Indeed, together we offer public witness that they have proven worthy to be agents of service, leadership, and reconciliation through their lives and vocations, and through them to the very conditions of life itself."
Undgraduate studies valedicatorian
Sophia Nask-Kolb
Each graduating class chooses a verse of Scripture to reflect their time at CMU and send them onward. This year's selection was 2 Timothy 4:7—"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." Undergraduate valedictorian Sophia Nast-Kolb and graduate valedictorian Omolara Tay offered reflections on this verse and their CMU journeys as they addressed their fellow graduates.
Nast-Kolb (Bachelor of Arts, English) recounted the joy she found in relationships at CMU, especially through the residence program, where she worked first as a Residence Assistant and then as Senior Residence Assistant. "At CMU, we tend to talk a lot about community. It is a buzzword that can sometimes feel overused, but we return to it so often because it is a core of life here," she said. She pointed to vulnerability and authenticity as qualities welcomed and modelled at CMU. "Whatever faith means for you, my hope is that each of us find ways to hold onto the light that makes the world a brighter place. This is a time when social and political systems often amplify our differences. I hope that, as we leave this place, our degrees have broadened our understanding of humanity and the world."
Graduate studies valedictorian Omolara Tay
Omolara Tay (Master of Arts, Peacebuilding and Collaborative Development) acknowledged the challenges that she and many of her classmates had to overcome to achieve their degrees: moving thousands of kilometres away from family and friends to a place of new people, different weather, and unfamiliar systems. She commended their perseverance and expressed gratitude for all the faculty and staff who supported them along the way. "That is what makes this class remarkable. We are a class that adapted, that supported each other, that refused to give up... Strangers became friends and friends became families," she said. "As our graduation verse reminds us in 2 Timothy 4:7, 'I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.' Today, the Scripture is no longer just words, it is our testimony. Today, it is important that we are ending a chapter, but we are also beginning a new story. We're standing as living proof that resilience, determination, and faith truly pay off."
This year's President's Medals were awarded to Asher Warkentin (Bachelor of Science) and Matthew Pahl (Bachelor of Arts, Psychology), in recognition of their qualities of scholarship, leadership, and service.
President Pauls presents Dr. Nor Murdock with the 2026 CMU PAX Award
Dr. Nora Murdock received the 2026 CMU PAX Award and gave the convocation address. She is an educator, consultant, and administrator whose career has been marked by a deep dedication to strengthening First Nations education in Manitoba through advancing systems level change and empowering youth. A member of Ochekwi Sipi (Fisher River) Cree Nation, Murdock is currently working with Fisher River Cree Nation as the Director of Education. Developing culturally responsive curriculum, programs, and land-based education, she works to ensure the students have a deep understanding of their own cultural history and ways of knowing built on the foundation of the Cree language.
Murdock shared a moving vision of what it means to enact reconciliation in our lives and communities. "I've come to see that reconciliation is not only a national conversation. I'm sure that many have heard about reconciliation as a buzzword, but what do we understand it to be? For me, it is a personal choice. It starts with each of us," she said.
"Reconciliation begins when we choose respect over judgement, when we treat others with kindness even when their beliefs are different from our own; it begins in our families, when we love our siblings and children for who they are; it begins in our communities, when we create space where everyone feels safe to express their spirituality without shame; it begins in our schools, when we celebrate the identity, language, beliefs, and values of our people."
"My wish and hope for the graduates, and actually for everybody in this room, is to live a life of reconciliation. To live with gratitude for what you have and the people around you who love you and support you; be grateful every day. To live with joy in the journey; whatever you choose to do in your life, bring some joy and fun into it. And with love as your guiding light, because truly the greatest of these is love."
Spring at CMU
The day before convocation, the university held its annual Spring at CMU event, featuring CMU choral ensembles and reflections from graduating students.
Lianna Peters (Bachelor of Arts, Communications and Media) shared how her program of study helped her grow in faith, shaped her identity, and led to a job as a content creator at CHVN 95.1 FM. "When I got this dream job, it felt like everything connected and came together: my love for storytelling and production and my faith. I'm excited to talk to people every day, follow my curiosity, and share that with others. I've learned that communications is about storytelling, it's about connection; it's using those stories to bring people together and help others feel seen, heard, and understood."
Matthew Pahl (Bachelor of Arts, Psychology) spoke about the intersection of his work-integrated learning placement as an action therapist for youth in the criminal justice system and courses like Interpersonal Communication and Positive Masculinities. "We talked about what it means to be a man in a world where patriarchy still runs rampant and boys are taught not to cry or show their feelings. For my final project in this class, I had the opportunity to create a pamphlet for boys and young men... I intentionally reframed traditional masculinity in a new and more positive way. This included redefining what strength, independence, and confidence actually mean." These experiences together developed life-long relational skills and uncovered a vocational passion for him.
Kaylene Blackwood (Bachelor of Business Administration, Co-op) chose her path of study because she wanted to integrate academic learning with work experience. She began with very little experience or qualifications but earned internships at Cascades and DeLoitte. It resulted in securing a full-time job at DeLoitte, one of the big four accounting firms in Canada, upon graduation. "Navigating the corporate world, especially as a black woman, comes with unique challenges... However, those challenges became opportunities for growth," she shared. "I learned to find my voice, advocate for myself, and contribute to creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace. Through this journey, I realized that success is not about trying to fit in, but about creating a space for myself and for others to belong and thrive."
Asher Warkentin (Bachelor of Science) reflected on how his CMU experience imitated different theories he learned about in a course called Dynamical Systems and Chaos. "Many of the experiences and opportunities I had could have turned out very differently, with even small, seemingly insignificant changes." He expressed gratitude for how the trajectory of his studies did unfold, including opportunities to study with Dr. Rachel Krause, "whose research and teaching aligned closely with my interest," he explained, and accompany her to Zimbabwe as a research assistant for the LINCZ project, which supports communities as they cope with climate change impacts and protect and restore the natural environment. "Now, as I reach the end of this stage of my life, there's still uncertainty about what comes next... But if my time at CMU has taught me anything, it's that even amid uncertainty, there can still be direction, purpose, and a pattern taking shape."