Ken's PhD Convocation

Earlier this month, we took the girls out of school for something very special. We thought it was important for them to be able to be there at Ken's convocation where he would receive the PhD that he has worked so long and hard for!

I still find it difficult to put my thoughts and feelings about this accomplishment into words. This PhD was hard on us, particularly during the last few years of it. I'm so glad to be on this end of it and so proud of Ken for sticking to it and accomplishing this!




We drove into Toronto with Ken's parents who celebrated with us. Ken's mom snapped this shot of us in the car on the way:

#notsponsored although this would be a great product placement for Ritz ;) haha

 ...and this one of us in a courtyard on campus before the ceremony (it was one of the first really cold days of this Fall, hence the hoods and earmuffs!).

She also got this photo of the first time we saw Ken in his robes. The emotion of the enormity of the day and this accomplishment really hit me while he was getting his robes. I'm so proud of him!

Next we headed outside and I went into photographer mode, to get some special photos to document this graduation. 

We attended the convocations for our Bachelor degrees when Talia was a baby (check this post out to see how young we looked!) but we couldn't be at Ken's Masters convocation (when Katrina was a baby). We knew we had to be at the one for his PhD though- it was the most work of all of them, so I wanted to document it!

Here's Ken with his parents (before we figured out how to properly wear the collar- oops).

After photos, we said goodbye to Ken and went into the convocation hall to wait for the ceremony to begin. 

We had great seats and happened to be sitting right where the graduates would walk as they approached for their turns to receive their diplomas. Ken's mom caught this photo of Katrina giving Ken a hug on his way up. :)

For those of you who have been asking what he studied, Ken has a BSc in Biomedical Sciences, a Masters in Vision Science & Biology and a PhD in Medical Sciences.

As I mentioned in an Instagram post just after that day, student life has been wonderful in many ways, and so difficult in others. There is so much that we have learned (beyond medical sciences and cellular biology) from the experiences that came along with so many years of school.

I’m very proud of Ken and I think we both feel a mix of excitement and nervousness about “what’s next”. We don’t know what’s around the corner just yet, but one thing I’ve learned is the importance of striving to embrace the stage you’re in, while you’re in it. Ken’s convocation was a day to celebrate and to let the accomplishment set in. A year from now, I wonder what we’ll be looking back on- I can’t guess what’s to come in 2018!

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