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Photos provided by Ashley Fearmall[/caption]

On April 1, Trent University’s colleges invited the staff, students, faculty and the Peterborough community to attend The Last Lecture, an annual event celebrating the graduating class and accomplishments of Trent’s excellent students.

The last lecture invites three speakers, a graduating student, a faculty member and an alumnus, to discuss the significance of their time at Trent University, the next steps in life’s journey and lessons from their time at Trent.

This year, the colleges invited graduating student Lexie Houghton, faculty member Dr. David Beresford, and alumnus Stephen Brown to share some advice with Trent’s students.

The event illustrated the strength of the community at Trent that we find in our classrooms, in our departments, in our colleges and in the people we interact with daily.

Houghton shared that Trent is a place where we find our voice, it was where she “learned to take risks and put [herself] out there.”

Leaving this community may be scary, but the community and our knowledge will help us adapt to the challenges that come next.

This theme of community and critical thinking is found in Brown’s and Beresford’s lectures.

For Brown the experience at Trent University creates powerful opportunities to learn how knowledge must be communicated successfully.

Once you enter the workforce, “it’s not about being the smartest it’s about communicating [ideas] well.”

Trent University’s small class sizes, community and open discussions between disciplines offers a place and community where you can test your communication skills in discussions with students, professors and the wider Peterborough community.

As students approach the end of our time at Trent University, it is not uncommon for graduates to feel lost, alone and scared of the future.

Beresford assured students this is normal, and to embrace the moment as an opportunity to plan for the future. The let down will happen after graduation, what matters is what you do with it.

What makes you passionate? Use the failures you find along the way to find out. What will you do next?

Explore many interests and opportunities to find, what Brown describes as, your swing factor: if you can you swing your feet out of bed easily most days, you love what you are doing.

The Last Lecture leaves us optimistic for the future for Trent’s graduating class, one that is rich with opportunities.

Failure and missteps will happen long the way; your education time is not simply about content.

“It is about learning how to learn,” Beresford reminded us.

Congratulations to our graduating class. Thank you for being part of our story at Trent University, and we hope you find lessons in your failures. If you were unable to join us, you can watch this year’s speakers online! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhW6-P3UIec.