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At the University of New Brunswick (UNB) graduation ceremonies in Fredericton and Saint John, five valedictorians will address UNB’s graduating classes of 2024.

Kate Palmer

Kate Palmer spent the first year of her undergraduate degree learning from her childhood bedroom in Rothesay, N.B., during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Four years later, the isolation of the 2020/2021 academic year is a distant but formative memory.

As someone who finds purpose and fulfillment in helping others and making the world a healthier place, adjusting to UNB’s Fredericton campus in her second year was both briefly challenging and highly rewarding. To “find her place,” Palmer immersed herself in student life by becoming an orientation leader, joining the UNB Student Union as Women’s Councillor and later founding and chairing the UNB Menstrual Health Society to reduce period poverty by providing access to free menstrual and wellness products.

Palmer achieved all this and more all the while actively working to find balance in her daily life.

She is graduating with a bachelor of science in psychology, minor in biology, and a specialization in neuroscience. This August, she will dive headfirst into medical school at Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick.

Palmer will deliver her valedictory address in Fredericton on Wednesday, May 15 at 10 a.m.

Denisha Coelho

Four years ago, Denisha Coelho packed her bags and moved from Mumbai, India, to Fredericton to pursue a bachelor of science in kinesiology.

This was a step out of her comfort zone – not just moving from a big city to a small town a world away – but because kinesiology wasn’t a well-known career path at the time.

Since arriving in New Brunswick and beginning her undergraduate degree, Coelho hasn’t stopped stepping out of her comfort zone. She embraced all the new things this new place had to offer, including joining extracurricular groups and taking on leadership roles in student organizations such as UNB’s Model United Nations Assembly, the Undergraduate Kinesiology Society and the Girls STEM Up Conference.

Though the last four years have not been without hardships, Coelho viewed them as stepping stones on her path to success: “When I embraced challenges and began channelling my efforts to make a positive impact, not just for myself but for other students, I began to thrive.”

Coelho leaves others feeling inspired and has worked tremendously hard to maximize the student experience at UNB.

Coelho will deliver her valedictory address in Fredericton on Wednesday, May 15 at 2:30 p.m.

Evan Di Cesare

Evan Di Cesare’s transformative journey at Renaissance College epitomizes resilience, community and passion.

From Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador, Di Cesare is graduating this spring with a bachelor of philosophy in interdisciplinary leadership.

Through the sorrow of personal loss and the challenges of a pandemic-altered university experience, his adaptability and perseverance have strengthened.

Di Cesare treasures the close relationships forged with classmates and draws inspiration from them. Embracing unpredictability and taking what he calls “meaningful risks,” Di Cesare has pursued numerous leadership roles and discovered his calling in teaching English as a second language.

Later this summer, he will be moving to Japan to work full-time as an English assistant language teacher with the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET).

Di Cesare will deliver his valedictory address in Fredericton on Thursday, May 16 at 10 a.m.

Gaia Noseworthy

Newfoundlander Gaia Noseworthy will graduate with a bachelor of science and bachelor of computer science with honours in mathematics-physics, honours in computer science and major in statistics. This specific combination, the graduate explained, is the perfect meeting point between the disciplines of physics, math and computer science.

Throughout their time at UNB, Noseworthy worked as an assistant researcher and later as a teaching assistant. This fall, they will begin the University of Waterloo’s Masters of Applied Mathematics (Quantum Information).

Outside of academia, Noseworthy’s life is a rich and varied tapestry of interest and achievement. An elected member of the UNB Board, Senate and Student Union, they are politically active both within the university community and the wider Fredericton area and see politics as a way to leave the world in better condition for the next generation.

In addition to founding and leading the UNB Debate Club, Noseworthy served as executive chair of CHSR Community Radio and was co-host of three shows, including a conversational debate show, a video game design show and a horror show.

Noseworthy is in constant search for new opportunities to learn and grow as an individual, and so they have recently dedicated time to nurture their love of singing by taking voice lessons through the UNB Art Centre.

Noseworthy will provide their valedictory address in Fredericton on Thursday, May 16 at 2:30 p.m.

Leen

Leen's remarkable journey spans across half the globe, starting in the United Arab Emirates, making a stop in India, and culminating at UNB Saint John. Her journey is a testament to her dedication to academic excellence and her commitment to understanding and working on complex economic and social issues.

Graduating with a bachelor of arts in economics, with a minor in business, Leen’s focus both inside and outside of academia has been on the impact of economic policies on public health in Atlantic Canada and the North.

Her research has centred on social determinants of health and the impact of racism on health and economic outcomes, with a particular focus on Indigenous and other minority communities.

By providing important research on issues like energy poverty and housing affordability in New Brunswick, Leen has helped shine a light on many of the overlooked communities that feel the real quality of life consequences as a result of policy decisions.

She has also played an active role on campus, as a volunteer at the campus food pantry and as the president of the Women in Business Society. In this role, Leen has helped run skill-building seminars covering everything from personal investments to filing taxes and starting a business – demystifying the complex world of finance for those trying to get started in the field.

Leen will deliver her valedictory address in Saint John on Friday, May 17 at 2 p.m.