The Hub AU grad crosses the virtual stage while walking postal route
Athabasca University Convocation | #AthaU21

AU grad crosses the virtual stage while walking postal route

At Athabasca University (AU), wherever you are is wherever we are.

One AU grad learned this doesn’t end even after you complete all your course work. Adam Lee (Bachelor of Management 2021) walked across the virtual stage at the June 11 convocation ceremony while also literally walking down the street in Vancouver, B.C., delivering the mail for Canada Post.

“It was kind of neat to be able to—just like all the rest of my time at AU—get work done and get school done,” he said.

A selfie of Adam Lee wearing his Canada Post uniform while delivering the mail
Adam Lee (Bachelor of Management, 2021), walked across the virtual convocation stage while at the same time literally walking his mail route.

Although Lee’s initial plan was to pursue a CPA designation, he began working with a family member with the plan of becoming a bankruptcy and insolvency trustee. Working with family can pose challenges, though, and in early 2020 he found himself looking for a new job while he completed his degree.

At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada Post was hiring. Lee jumped at the opportunity, having always thought it would be a really fun job. One year in, he said he knows he made the right choice.

“I really think Canada Post is going to be a great place to be—with my degree and with my life experience,” he said. “There’s a lot of opportunity here, and I’m really excited about the future.”

Lee was also able to honour his father at Convocation, seven years after he died of complications related to alcoholism and left an inheritance Lee used to fund his degree. When given the opportunity to share a few words during his live moment, he shared words of support for those struggling with their mental health and addictions and encouraged them to ask for help.

“Going through that with him made me more empathetic, I think. Especially here on the West Coast, there’s a lot of addiction and mental health problems,” he said. “The more people can talk about it, hopefully more people can be a story and not just a statistic.”

You can watch videos of the convocation ceremonies by visiting the convocation website. Skip to 54:50 in the Ceremony 2 video for Lee’s live moment.

Published:
  • June 16, 2021