Learning does not begin or end with a degree. That idea echoed through the Great Hall as four nominated speakers from across the Trent community—student, faculty, staff, and alumni—offered final remarks to the graduating class at this year’s Last Lecture.  

While their stories differed, each speech shared a common message: learning is continuous, and it is the relationships we build, with ourselves, our communities, and the world, that give our knowledge and experiences meaning. 

Learning is lived
Faculty speaker Dr. Jack Hoggarth '10 (Gzowski College), chair of Anishinaabe Knowledge and assistant professor in the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies, challenged the idea that learning is something to be conquered. Drawing on Anishinaabeg ways of knowing, he emphasized that learning is shaped through trial. 

“We live to make mistakes, and in those mistakes, that’s where true learning happens.” 

His message reframed knowledge not as something to collect, but as something to engage with and express in action. 

Evolution is not done in isolation
Biomedical Science student Kevin Santos (Champlain College) reflected on a journey defined by resilience and community. From his childhood in Panama to his experience supporting international students at Trent, Kevin spoke to the evolution of identity and becoming the best version of yourself. 

“Creating spaces where people felt seen, supported, and at home… those moments didn’t just impact others, they transformed me.” 

His reflections underscored a simple but powerful idea: that what students take with them is both what they’ve learned and who they’ve learned alongside. 

Success is not fixed
“Life doesn’t wait for certainty. It keeps happening while you’re figuring things out. And if you’re worrying about the future, you may be missing what really matters,” said staff speaker Dr. Melanie Buddle, principal of Peter Gzowski College. 

Principal Buddle challenged graduates to resist the pressure to follow a fixed trajectory or to define success narrowly, and encouraged them to move forward without needing all the answers. 

How to learn is key
Alumni speaker and soon-to-be Chancellor Emeritus, Dr. Stephen Stohn ’66 brought the conversation into a broader context, reflecting on the future graduates are stepping into, one shaped by rapid technological change and global uncertainty. 

He emphasized that what matters most is not a narrow set of skills, but the ability to adapt and engage with complexity. 

“It is not simply about what you learn, it is about how to learn. And who you become in the process.” 

In the end, The Last Lecture is not about final words, but lasting ones. As graduates step into what comes next, they do so with more than knowledge—they carry forward a way of thinking, learning, and engaging with the world that will shape who they become. 

Watch the full recording of The Last Lecture 2026 on YouTube.