Fall Convocation ’24: Meet Five of Victoria College’s Newest Graduates

^{Researching theoretical chemistry, prosecuting international law and curing allergies—hear about some of the exciting dreams of Vic’s fall graduates. (Photos by Will Dang)}

By Joe Howell 
 
Laughter and tears, joy and relief, hugs and farewells: our campus was bursting with emotion on Friday, Nov. 1, as Victoria College’s newest graduates crossed the stage during Fall Convocation. Plenty of beaming family members, friends and faculty were on hand to help celebrate their academic achievements and the next stage in their journeys. 
 
“We’re so proud of the work that you’ve done with this tremendous accomplishment,” Principal Alex Hernandez said at a reception in Alumni Hall following the ceremony. “We are honoured to have been part of the team supporting you along the way. We can’t wait to see you succeed in whatever comes next. As you walk out of our halls and into the world, remember you will always have a place at Vic.” 

 
Meet five of Victoria College’s remarkable new graduates: 
 

Devika Gopakurnar (centre) 
Chemistry 
 
“I saw my first Canadian snowfall here in the Burwash quad; we had an impromptu snowball fight I’ll never forget! I’ve already started my master’s in theoretical chemistry at U of T, so I’m back in class on Monday exploring chemical compounds and quantum mechanics. I hope to eventually do chemistry research, either within academia or for industry.” 

Harry Henderson (centre) 
Renaissance studies and history 
 
“I was the president of the Association of Renaissance Students. One of my favourite memories is working on an exhibit for the Pratt library about a pamphlet from the 1500s I did a lot of research on. Right now, I’m considering my master’s in the School of Advanced Study at the University of London.” 

 
 
Zhehui Xie (centre) 
Literature and critical theory 
 
“I helped start a program at Vic called Eat After Eight, which provides free meals for students by diverting dining hall food waste. I took the Literature and Critical Theory program at Victoria College, and graduated a year early to do a master’s of English at U of T. I’m still deciding if I’m going into academia—I’ve had profs encourage me to do that, so maybe a PhD in early modern literature is waiting for me.” 
 
 

Daniel Lee (centre) 
Political science and environmental studies 
 
“My favourite class here was POL 341: Operation of the International Legal Order. I’ve always had an interest in legal studies, but until taking that course I wasn’t sure about pursuing law as a career. Now I’m in my first year of law school! I hope to one day work on international criminal law cases—maybe drug trafficking, but I think terrorism law is pretty interesting too.” 
 
 
 
Liliana Malat (on right) 
Physiology, immunology and psychology 
 
“I've made some lifelong friends at U of T. One of my favorite memories is taking an introduction to wine course inside Old Vic! My dream is to go to grad school for immunology and eventually become an allergist. I have 14 allergies, so I want to contribute to that research and hopefully one day cure myself.”