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Convocation
Outstanding FASS graduands selected as June 2025 convocation speakers
This June convocation, we are proud to have four Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) students presenting the commencement address to their graduating class. Congratulations to Gabrielle Wong, Emmanuel Adegboyega, Tanaya Parmar, and Taylor Ivan.
Nominated by the university community and selected by the Registrar, these students represent the very best of our student body, and their voices will reflect the diverse talents and experiences that define our community.
Notably, two of our four speakers—Wong and Adegboyega—are part of the growing Social Data Analytics program, which has been cultivating a new generation of insightful, data-driven thinkers since its launch five years ago. All three undergraduate student speakers are also part of the inaugural cohort of the , demonstrating the strength and promise of this initiative in shaping future leaders.
We look forward to hearing their inspiring words at convocation as they prepare to take the next steps in their remarkable journeys.
Graduand Speakers
Gabrielle Chung Yun Wong
BA (Hons.), Human Geography
Social Data Analytics minor and Urban Studies certificate
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’s 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’s 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.
Emmanuel Adegboyega
BA, Political Science
Social Data Analytics minor
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’s 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’s Lincoln M. Alexander Award, Rogers’ Ted Rogers Entrance Scholarship and placements on the President’s 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.
Tanaya Parmar
MA, International Studies
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’ and mountaineers’ 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.
Taylor Ivan
BA (Hons.), Philosophy
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’s 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.