The McMaster Discovery Program Celebrates a New Graduating Class

On 12 December 2015, the McMaster Discovery Program community celebrated students’ successful completion of the course with a graduation ceremony in McMaster’s Council Chambers on campus. The program offers a free, non-credit course to members of the Hamilton community who have experienced barriers to post-secondary education. It aims to encourage a love of learning as well as foster relationships among McMaster students, staff, faculty, and Hamilton residents. The event was very well attended, with over seventy students, Discovery Program alumni, McMaster faculty members, community members, and friends and family joining in to celebrate, share stories, and express gratitude for another successful year. This celebration also marked the McMaster Discovery Program’s fifth anniversary and Dr. Ann Herring’sthird and final year as course instructor.

The event was hosted by Steve House, a graduate of this year’s program, and included a convocation address by Dr. Daniel Coleman, the Discovery Program’s instructor in 2011 and 2012. In his address, Dr. Coleman spoke about the history of the program and its unique role in creating a space for mutual learning. In partnership with McMaster’s Arts & Science Program students Tian Lei, Tishya Parikh, Eamon Colvin, Danielle Canagasurium, and Stephanie Bertolo, McMaster Discovery Program students worked on a wide variety of independent projects that were inspired by the course content; these ranged from a history of Iraqi culture, to fictionalized accounts of Irish immigrants to Canada, to photo exhibits of local landmarks.