Meet some of Western's new graduates as university kicks off 2025 spring convocation

Hundreds of Western University students officially became graduates on Monday and received their long-awaited degrees as the school kicked off its 325th spring convocation.

Ceremonies are set to run through the week at Canada Life Place, and over 6,700 students expected to cross the convocation stage at the downtown venue, which will host convocation through to 2030.

It marks the first time in nearly six decades that Western has held convocation away from Alumni Hall on the school's campus.

Monday's ceremony featured graduates from the Faculty of Science and the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

"It's definitely a little bit scary, but it's very exciting at the same time. We're never done learning, so I have that to look forward to," said Christian Dresser, a graduate of Western's honours specialization in medical bioinformatics.

"I want to start studying for the MCAT very shortly, and then hopefully med school. I'd like a PhD at some point in the future, and then, ideally, my dream job is working in some type of biotech research, maybe like AI drug development."

Dresser celebrated the milestone with fellow graduate, Isla Mitchell, his girlfriend since high school.

Mitchell, who studied integrated science with honours specialization in synthetic biology, says she hopes to take a bio design program in the United Kingdom to obtain either a master's or PhD.

"It's kind of a newer field ... it's kind of hard to explain. It's like taking a design approach, and incorporating biology into it. Things like sustainable fashion, developing new materials, just incorporating a biological perspective into art and design," she said.

"I might stay in Canada for a little bit longer, but I'm hoping to go abroad and learn some things."

For Kaitlyn Bennett, another honours specialization in synthetic biology student, a master's degree is calling.

"I'll just be continuing the same kind of work that I was doing in my undergrad thesis, and then hopefully it'll lead toward some kind of biotechnology career," she said.

"I'd love to use synthetic biology to expand how personalized medicine works."

It's degree number two for Armin Farhang-pour, an honours specialization in computer science student who previously graduated with a degree in medical science.

He says with some work experience already under his belt, the plan now is to have a job lined up in software development by next year. "This is the last straw, I hope," when it comes to education, he said.

"I kind of want to make a name for myself in the software developing world. I want to have the power to, basically, if I want to go freelance, to be able to just do it," he said.

Bennett says the pair were set to celebrate with some tiramisu.

"We have a whole buffet of desserts and treats waiting for us," Farhang-pour said. "Then we're gonna just go to campus and take some photos."

Among the hundreds saying goodbye to their studies on Monday, no one was likely more relieved than Wes Robinson, who left convocation with a PhD in neuroscience.

"I'm super happy I'm not in school anymore," he said with a laugh. "Since 2011 I've been in school at Western."

Genetics has been the focus of Robinson's studies, and the aim, he says, is to teach genetics at the university.

"When I was finishing my master's degree, I realized that I enjoyed teaching a lot. To be able to teach at the university as a professor, you need your PhD, so that was really the goal," he said.

To celebrate, Robinson says he planned to go for dinner downtown with his wife and family, and then "go home and not be a student for a little bit."