The University of Northern British Columbia will have two valedictorians at its convocation ceremonies on May 31.
At the first ceremony, the valedictorian is Behrouz (Bruce) Danesh, who received his Bachelor of Health Sciences Honours degree in September. Bruce has just finished his first year in UBC’s Masters of Occupational Therapy – North cohort program at UNBC’s Prince George campus.
The second ceremony's valedictorian is Will Hanlon, who is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts with a joint major in Geography and Political Science. He has been accepted into the Osgoode Hall Law School at York University in Toronto in the fall.
UNBC provided the Citizen with information about both valedictorians.
Danesh arrived in Toronto from his home in Yazd, Iran in 2017. Knowing he wanted to pursue a career in the healthcare industry, he learned of the challenges faced by northern and rural communities in attracting healthcare professionals and was drawn to UNBC.
"Prince George seemed like the ideal place – full of opportunities – and I wasn't wrong," he says. "I have loved the small class sizes at UNBC and have been touched by the strong sense of community."
Accepted as an international student in 2018, Danesh quickly became involved in community development at the Prince George campus and in the broader community. His volunteer contributions range from mentorship roles to establishing cross-cultural groups and creating supports where gaps exist.
"I have worked closely with students, faculty, and various departments to ensure that we are all working towards the common goal of providing the best possible experience for UNBC students," says Danesh, who completed his coursework in his Bachelor of Health Sciences Honours degree last spring and his undergraduate honours thesis over the summer of 2023. His degree was conferred in the fall and he will cross the stage with graduates from the fall, winter, and spring conferrals.
After completing his thesis, Danesh seamlessly completed the first year of the University of British Columbia's Master of Occupational Therapy – North cohort program at the Prince George campus.
Read more about him here.
Will Hanlon was born and raised in Prince George, and graduated from College Heights Secondary School in 2020.
On May 31, he will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a joint major in Geography and Political Science. Interested in climate change, sustainable development and land rights, he will go to Osgoode Hall Law School at York University in Toronto in the fall.
“As I head off to law school in the fall, I will take the strong sense of community from UNBC with me and hope to foster similar sentiments wherever I end up,” he said.
While in the third year of his degree, Hanlon partnered with political science professor Dr. Gary Wilson through the Undergraduate Research Experience program to research the impact of Brexit (the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union) on three small islands: the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. The collaboration resulted in a co-authored paper published in a peer-reviewed journal Small States and Territories. It's rare for an undergrad to have an academic paper published, the university reports.
“One thing I hope other students take away from my experience is that you don’t have to be a graduate student to get involved in research,” said Hanlon, who joined UNBC’s Research Ambassadors Program this past year to encourage undergraduates to seek out those opportunities.
Read more about him here.
