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June 2025 graduand speakers

The June 2025 graduand speakers are selected by the faculties and the Registrar based on student achievement and extracurricular involvement.

Ceremony A

Kayla Mitchell, BA, Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences

Kayla Mitchell is a proud member of the Small Frog Clan of the Wet'suwet'en Nation, the elected Deputy Chief of Witset First Nation and the Interim Child and Family Jurisdiction Director at the Office of the Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chiefs. A recipient of SFU鈥檚 Dr. Jack Uppal Award, she graduates with a Bachelor of Arts in Health Sciences. Kayla is a passionate advocate for Indigenous determinants of health, working to break cycles of intergenerational trauma through culturally grounded approaches. Deeply connected to the land and Wet'suwet'en ways of knowing, she is dedicated to advancing wellness approaches that honour natural law and Indigenous resilience. She looks forward to pursuing studies at the SFU School of Medicine, with the vision of amplifying and validating Indigenous medicine for the benefit of all communities.

Ceremony B

Molly Ronan, BBA, Human Resources Management
Beedie School of Business

Molly Ronan graduates with a Bachelor of Business Administration, concentrating in Human Resources Management. She began her post-secondary studies at Capilano University, earning an Associate of Arts Degree in Global Stewardship and fostering a strong interest in sustainability and community-centered approaches. At SFU, Molly was inspired by the transformative role Human Resources can play in organizational development. Her academic journey has been shaped by a passion for people-focused solutions and a dedication to supporting and advocating for others. Molly completed two co-op work terms with the Faculty of Applied Sciences Co-operative Education team and continues to work with them part-time, helping students navigate their own learning journeys. She is excited to launch her professional career in Human Resources and remains committed to lifelong learning.

Ceremony C

Gabrielle Chung Yun Wong, BA (Hons.), Human Geography
Faculty of Environment

Gabrielle Wong graduates with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Human Geography, minor in Social Data Analytics and certificate in Urban Studies. She enriched her studies through three co-operative work term placements, four research assistant positions and an honours project about endangered species recovery. Gabrielle enjoyed co-chairing the Geography Student Union and leading the first two iterations of the union鈥檚 student conference. She also supported students as a welcome leader, mentor, tutor and peer educator. In recognition of her peer support and community-building efforts, Gabrielle received the Department of Geography鈥檚 2021 and 2023 Warren Gill Memorial Award, among others. Outside of school, she finds joy in creative pursuits, including music, crocheting and cardmaking. In the fall, Gabrielle will begin graduate studies in geography at the University of Toronto.

Ceremony D

Alyssa Rusk, BSc, Computing Science
Faculty of Applied Sciences

Alyssa Rusk graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Computing Science and a minor in Business. She joined SFU in 2019, having been awarded the Undergraduate Scholars Entrance Scholarship with Distinction (USES). During her time at SFU, Alyssa was highly involved as a student leader and volunteer, holding roles as a USES first year engagement coordinator, mentor for Uggla Family Scholarship students, FAS student ambassador and coding instructor for the FAS Outreach Program. In recognition of her contributions, she was nominated for Actua鈥檚 National Instructor Recognition Award and SFU鈥檚 Warren Gill Award for Community Impact. She cites her Cyber Crime Field School in Scotland as a highlight of her SFU experience. In September, Alyssa will continue her academic journey at SFU in the Master of Cybersecurity program.

Ceremony E

Matthew Armstrong, BA, Interactive Arts and Technology
Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology

Matthew Armstrong graduates with a Bachelor of Arts in Interactive Arts and Technology. During his time at SFU, he took on leadership roles within the community by mentoring incoming students, working as a TechTeams student leader and recruiter and being involved as a writer with SIAT鈥檚 motion capture studio, StudioSIAT. With a concentration in extended reality and game design, Matthew wishes to further his career in the world of video games and is currently working with a team to develop his first commercial game product.

Ceremony F

Emmanuel Adegboyega, BA, Political Science
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Emmanuel Adegboyega graduates with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Social Data Analytics. A passionate advocate for student voices, he served as president of the Simon Fraser Student Society and the undergraduate representative on SFU鈥檚 Board of Governors. Emmanuel was also an athlete on SFU's NCAA football team. He has been recognized with numerous awards for academic excellence and community service, including the Government of Ontario鈥檚 Lincoln M. Alexander Award, Rogers鈥� Ted Rogers Entrance Scholarship and placements on the President鈥檚 Honour Roll. Deeply committed to social justice, Emmanuel plans to pursue a career in public policy and law, aiming to influence systemic change and champion equity-driven governance. He is grateful for the support of his community throughout his journey.

Ceremony G

Tanaya Parmar, MA, International Studies
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Tanaya Parmar graduates with a Master of Arts in International Studies. She is a recipient of the Simons Foundation Canada Graduate Fellowship in International Studies, two Graduate Fellowship awards and two awards from the School of International Studies: the Travel and Research Award and the International Travel Grant. Her thesis examined how race factors into employment relationships between Black female domestic workers and Indian employers in Kenya. She also worked as a teaching assistant and as a research assistant on projects investigating young hikers鈥� and mountaineers鈥� emerging entrepreneurialism and the impacts of conservation on traditional Kamba farmers in Kenya. Moving forward, she is committed to advancing initiatives that improve the lives of women and children facing precarious conditions, guided by a passion for equity, social justice and meaningful community engagement.

Ceremony H

Taylor Ivan, BA (Hons.), Philosophy
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Taylor Ivan graduates with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Philosophy. With a cumulative GPA of 4.13, she was named on the Dean's and President's Honour Roll multiple times, received six scholarships and became one of the FASS Dean's Undergraduate Fellows in 2025. During this time, she was also an executive member of the Philosophy Student Union and chief journal editor of the Philosophy Student Union鈥檚 undergraduate journal, Philosophy Nouveau. Her honours thesis focused on the history and philosophy of science, specifically the gradual disappearance of alchemy leading up to the eighteenth century. She presented her research at the Philosophy of Science Association conference in 2024 and the FASS Undergraduate Research Symposium in 2025. Taylor looks forward to starting her PhD in Philosophy at Yale this September.

Ceremony I

Dr. Ramin Shadmehr, PhD, Educational Technology and Learning Design
Faculty of Education

Dr. Ramin Shadmehr graduates with a PhD in Educational Technology and Learning Design. After developing the Virtual Reality Employment & Interview Training application, he researched the use of virtual reality in education and training for autistic individuals. A recipient of the 2020 BCIT Teaching Excellence Award, 2023 Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Mentor of the Year Award and 2025 CapU Envisioning Award, he is also the founder of Techies of Tomorrow, a program that supports underrepresented groups in the tech sector by providing mentorship and training. At SFU, Ramin was the president of the International Students Group. He is currently the dean of Fine and Applied Arts at Capilano University, where he has spearheaded several transformative initiatives, including establishing the first Unreal Engine authorized training centre in Western Canada.