Hands-on education powers confident, job-ready graduates across Saskatchewan
June 22, 2026 – More than 2,150 students are celebrating a major milestone as they graduate from Saskatchewan Polytechnic.
The convocation ceremony celebrates the Saskatoon campus class of 2026 and honours outstanding award recipients. Sask Polytech graduates are equipped to step into their fields and help drive the province’s growing economy. Through hands-on, applied learning, they have developed the skills, judgment and accountability to act with confidence, adapt to complexity and make a meaningful difference on the job from day one.
“It is an honour to celebrate our Saskatoon campus graduating class of 2026, each of them leaders in their own way” says Dr. Larry Rosia, Sask Polytech president and CEO. “Leadership in today’s world is about contribution. It’s about using what you have to make a tangible difference and it shows up in how you work, in the standards you maintain when no one is checking, and in the results that others can trust. Employers can count on our polytech graduates to show up as leaders.”
Congratulations to the Saskatoon campus award recipients.
Ariel MacKenzie, a graduate of the Veterinary Technology program, received the Outstanding Citizenship Award. She served on the Saskatchewan Association of Veterinary Technologists’ board of directors, sharing the student perspective and advocating for students. Ariel also volunteered at veterinary clinics and supported outreach programs in remote communities. After graduation, she hopes to continue this work by connecting with community members and providing veterinary care in underserved and remote areas.
Haley Burnouf, a Design and Manufacturing Engineering Technology graduate and Tanwarjeet Singh, a Child and Youth Care graduate, both received a Reconciliation in Action Award.
Burnouf balanced her studies with her work as a student researcher on Sask Polytech’s Sustainability-Led Integrated Centres of Excellence (SLICE) team, contributing to an applied research project to create a wild rice harvester prototype for Indigenous harvesters in her home community. She valued how the work aligned with her Indigenous beliefs and sense of responsibility to future generations. Burnouf also served as the youth representative for Northern Region3 of the Provincial Métis Council, advocating for youth at the provincial level.
Singh’s commitment to reconciliation is grounded in both his personal journey and his time working in the human services and justice sectors. His practicums provided valuable opportunities to work closely with Indigenous youth and adults who are disproportionately represented in the justice and child welfare systems. He is committed to strengthening his role as an ally, by continuing to learn and support practices that honour Indigenous voices.
Maleeha Ali, an Interactive Design and Technology graduate and Ujjawal Thakur, a Cyber Security graduate, both received the Student Innovation Award.
For her capstone project, Ali designed an emotionally aware AI companion to support Sask Polytech student success. The agent would be integrated into mysaskpolytech.ca. Ali says that whether or not Sask Polytech moves forward with her idea, the applied research project demonstrates that students are ready to research, design and build the tools they wish existed.
Thakur’s capstone project focused on developing a phishing URL detection system that analyzes website URLs using machine learning, supplemented by data from cyber security reputation services. These inputs are correlated to produce a final phishing risk score. The capstone project integrates key areas such as threat detection, digital forensics, incident response and secure systems design.
Aiden Bellows is the recipient of the Governor General’s Academic Bronze Medal for the highest average in the Saskatoon campus Adult 12 program.
Passaporn Tanaka, a graduate of the Early Childhood Education program, is the recipient of the Governor General’s Academic Collegiate Bronze Medal for the highest average for a diploma at the Saskatoon campus.
Sask Polytech awarded an honorary degree in Applied Studies to Candace Laing, president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Laing brings over 20 years of experience across the private and public sectors, including more than a decade at Nutrien where she led Sustainability and Human Resources as a member of the executive leadership team.
More than 5,230 students are eligible to graduate across all four campuses this spring. Sask Polytech prepares work-ready graduates to meet Saskatchewan’s labour market demands. Sask Polytech currently has a 93 per cent graduate employment rate and 90 per cent Indigenous graduate employment rate.
The convocation ceremonies are broadcast live so graduates, family, friends and the polytechnic community who are unable to attend in-person can celebrate. To view the livestream or previously recorded video please visit www.saskpolytech.ca/convocation.
