Brock University President connects with grads in Western Canada
More than 50 members of the Brock community gathered on the other side of the country to give Brock’s new President a warm Badger welcome.
Special receptions were hosted in Calgary and Vancouver last week, offering alumni, donors and community partners an opportunity to meet Lesley Rigg, Brock’s President and Vice-Chancellor. The trip marked the first out-of-province alumni events the University has hosted since 2019.
Each venue buzzed with lively conversations as guests exchanged stories and fond memories with new acquaintances and old peers.
It was Ben McIntyre’s (BSM ’22) first glimpse at Brock’s deep sense of community in action beyond graduation.
“I loved hearing about other people’s connections to Brock, especially those from outside the program I studied,” said the Brock alumnus. “It felt like a community of people you could build relationships with and lean on throughout your career.”
The Calgary reception was a blend of new and familiar faces for long-standing alumni volunteer and proud Brock graduate Michelle Greene (BKin ’06), who said the occasion felt akin to a family reunion.
Greene was moved by the effortless way everyone took the opportunity to meet each other and take genuine interest in their stories.
“I loved sharing stories of the past with Dr. Rigg and other proud Brock grads,” she said. “I really appreciated learning about what was happening at Brock today, too. To see how much Brock has progressed makes me feel so much more pride in being a Badger.”
Rigg spent time getting to know each attendee at the Calgary and Vancouver events and was impressed by the remarkably strong affinity that Brock graduates felt for their alma mater. She described it as an energy and enthusiasm extending well beyond the borders of campus.
“I was thrilled to meet with Brock’s alumni, who spoke to me about how their experience at the University changed their life,” said Rigg. “Brock has a tremendous community of more than 115,000 alumni around the world who are undoubtedly among the most enthusiastic and supportive university graduates I have ever encountered.”
The events also acknowledged special milestones for a few attendees, including the presentation of silver and gold cameo pins to those celebrating their 25- and 50-year anniversaries with Brock University, and the presentation of honorary stoles for legacy graduates who could not attend their ceremony last October.
Members of the alumni community are encouraged to keep their contact information updated to receive news about future events and opportunities in their area.