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June 2024 graduand speakers

The June 2024 graduand speakers are selected by the faculties and the Registrar based on student achievement and extracurricular involvement.

Ceremony A

Jiyun (Daisy) Choi, BA, Linguistics and French
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Daisy Choi completed a double major in Linguistics and French, as well as a certificate in Speech Science. Her achievements over the course of her degree include being named to the dean’s honour roll, working as a research assistant in the Language Learning and Development Lab and securing a research assistant position in the Phonological Processing Lab through the Undergraduate Student Research Award program. Outside of academics, she is passionate about helping others and has volunteered extensively with adults needing speech and communication support. She received an entrance scholarship to UBC and will begin graduate studies in UBC’s Speech-Language Pathology program this fall.

Ceremony B

Mariah Stafford, BA, Criminology, Sociology, and Communication
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Mariah Stafford began her university career as a recipient of the Gordon M. Shrum Major Entrance Scholarship and graduates today with an interdisciplinary BA in Criminology, Sociology and Communication. During her degree, she volunteered as a FASS Peer Mentor and Senior Welcome Leader, was president of the Sociology and Anthropology Student Union and served as chair of the Undergraduate Scholars Entrance Scholarships Student Committee. In recognition of her volunteerism, Mariah was a two-time recipient of the Kate Ross Doing and Discovery Award. She also completed two co-op semesters as the FASS Engagement Programming Assistant and three semesters with the Government of Canada, supporting the implementation of the United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Mariah looks forward to beginning graduate studies in Public Administration this September.

Ceremony C

Rajinder (Raj) Deol, MA, International Studies
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Raj Deol completed his Master of Arts in International Studies. Born in Hong Kong, of South Asian descent and now residing on Turtle Island, he believes in the values of transnational solidarity and community as key to reimagining collective futures and actions. A recipient of the Simons Foundation Canada Graduate Fellowship and the Annie and Leon Josefowicz Memorial Award, he lived out his values through his work advancing caste and social inclusion in international development, researching gender migration discourses in Asia and strengthening the global human rights system from backlash. Raj is also a development practitioner who has worked with the United Nations on gender equality, disaster resilience and migration. Going forward, he hopes to bring people and diverse knowledge together in reshaping policy, norms and practices.

Ceremony D

Amanda Calla Willett, IBL EMBA
Beedie School of Business

Amanda Calla completed her Executive MBA through Beedie’s Indigenous Business Leadership Executive MBA program. She is an experienced Indigenous professional in the investment and insurance sector, recognized for her inclusive approach, transformative leadership and dedication to academic excellence. For more than 15 years, she has earned accolades for her work with Indigenous communities throughout B.C. and her commitment to economic reconciliation in corporate spaces. Amanda comes from the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and mixed European ancestry. As a mother of two, she embodies resilience and determination in balancing her commitments to community, professional development and family responsibilities. She plans to pursue further education in finance and Indigenous investment management and will continue to share her knowledge and passion for Indigenous innovation and empowerment with future business leaders.

Ceremony E

Valeriya (Valerie) Kistrina, BSc (First Class with Distinction), Computing Science and Statistics
Computing Science
Faculty of Applied Sciences

Valerie Kistrina completed her Bachelor of Science with a Computing Science major and Statistics minor, and is graduating First Class with Distinction. While her university journey involved its fair share of studying and frequent visits to Renaissance Cafe, it was also defined by her community involvement and dedication to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for her peers. She was the first director of educational events in the Computing Science Student Society and most recently served as the society’s vice-president. During her degree, Valerie secured internships at Morgan Stanley and Microsoft, and she is excited to return to Microsoft for her next chapter as a full-time product manager.

Ceremony F

Jody Tao, BSc, Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences

Jody Tao began her academic career as a recipient of the Undergraduate Scholars Entrance Scholarship with Distinction and quickly developed a passion for research. During her time at SFU, she was a member of the Warren Research Group and an undergraduate research assistant in the Forde Lab, where she collaborated with industry leaders to develop a novel tool for imaging collagen. Her work has been presented at local and national conferences and has received several awards, including from the Biophysical Society of Canada. Outside of academics, Jody serves as a peer tutor and piano teacher and has played on the provincial and national netball teams. She is excited to attend medical school this fall.

Ceremony G

Julian Groll, BA (Hons.), Archaeology
Faculty of Environment

Julian Groll’s academic achievements include completing his honours degree in under three years, during which he was admitted to the President’s Honour Roll four times. Outside of academics, his time at SFU was marked by a commitment to community and research. He was a member of the Archaeology Student Society and Faculty of Environment Student Leadership Team, where he enjoyed connecting with other passionate students. His research revolves around using bimolecular archaeology to gain insight into prehistoric turtle ecology, for the benefit of modern conservation efforts and descendant communities throughout the Caribbean. He is currently involved in the Curaçao Cultural Landscape Project and Lil’wat Pithouse Project and plans to continue this research while pursuing his master’s degree at SFU.

Ceremony H

Dr. Yi Chien Jade Ho, PhD, Educational Theory and Practice
Faculty of Education

Yi Chien Jade Ho completed their PhD in Education Theory and Practice in the Faculty of Education. Their doctoral work centres on developing a radical pedagogy of place through the lens of decolonization in cross-cultural contexts and the connection between place, land and identity in marginalized communities. This work earned them the 2023 Paul Tai Yip Ng Memorial Award and the Research Impact Canada Engaged Scholarship Award. Now a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Victoria and a scholar-in-residence with the David Lam Centre, Jade’s postdoctoral project revolves around supporting Indigenous frontline organizing and building cross-racial tenant solidarity in Vancouver's Chinatown and the Downtown Eastside. Their work is informed by their experiences working with the Teaching Support Staff Union, Contract Worker Justice and the Vancouver Tenants Union.