Maurizio Bevilacqua, who began his leadership journey as a York student, used the occasion of receiving an honorary degree at a Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) fall convocation ceremony to praise the University's impact and inspire graduands.
Kathryn McPherson, interim dean of LA&PS, introduced Bevilacqua by commending him for embodying the qualities most valued in a York University honorary degree recipient.
“He is a true example of the profound impact that dedicated leadership can have on our communities,” said McPherson, who cited his decades of distinguished public service as a member of parliament and three-time mayor of the City of Vaughan. McPherson also noted his role as mayor in advancing the York University School of Medicine, a transformative initiative that will improve health care access and equity across the region.
Bevilacqua began his address to graduands by reflecting on immigrating with his family from Italy at age 10. He described how his parents brought with them “a suitcase full of dreams and hopes,” including the belief that this country would open its arms to their children.
A decade later, he said, he began to realize that dream when he was elected president of the York University Student Council. He was mentored by then-York president Ian Macdonald, who taught him that leadership is “not about power… it’s about selfless service, attentive listening and lifting others up.”
It was one of several ways Bevilacqua said York shaped his subsequent career, which began eight years later when he was elected to the House of Commons. “York gave me more than an education. It gave me a compass, a conviction that life is indeed an offering, and that what we learn, we must share and give back,” he said.
Speaking to the graduating class directly, he invoked the University’s motto, tentanda via – the way must be tried. “It is more than just a Latin phrase. It is a way of life,” he said.
Bevilacqua took a moment to praise the leadership of Vice-Chancellor and President Rhonda Lenton as an example of tentanda via in action. “President Lenton reminds us that leadership is not about standing still in comfort. It’s about moving forward with purpose, about making one’s work an offering for the greater good,” he said. He then addressed Lenton directly: “As I walk this campus, I really feel you left a mark on this University and I see your fingerprints everywhere.”
Bevilacqua continued, assuring graduands that while the path ahead would not always be smooth or certain, trying, even in uncertainty, is the essence of a meaningful life. “Every act of discovery, every work of justice, every breakthrough in history, began with someone saying, ‘Let’s try,’” he said.
He encouraged the Class of 2025 to carry hope, courage and compassion into their futures.
“Life rarely provides you with a map, but what’s beautiful about life is that the path reveals itself as you walk on your journey. You will try new careers, hear new callings, dream new dreams. All of them will teach,” Bevilacqua said, with encouragement to embrace humility, kindness and forgiveness along the way.
Closing his address, he reflected on the idea that every effort matters. “Every hour you studied, every obstacle you overcame, every act of kindness, humility and perseverance was an offering to your own becoming,” he said. “The journey itself is sacred, because it is through trying that you offer your gifts to the world.”
He called on graduands to use their gifts as they enter a world that needs their leadership, courage and compassion, and to do so with what they had taken from York University.
"Please carry York's values with you – its inclusiveness, its integrity, its belief in the dignity of every person. Let your education be not only your achievement, but your offering to your community, to your country, to the world,” he said.