Building futures: USask Engineering students mark next steps with Hard Hat Ceremony

Over 800 students, alumni, faculty and community members gathered as the University of Saskatchewan (USask) College of Engineering officially welcomed students into their disciplines at the Hard Hat Ceremony.

The annual ceremony welcomes second-year and new graduate studies students into their programs, symbolizing their commitment to the profession and to becoming the engineers the world needs. Watch the live stream of the 2025 ceremony on the college’s YouTube channel.

The ceremony opened with a blessing, teachings and song from Elders Tim Eashappie and Kathy Eashappie Wahpepah, who helped guide the evening in a good way. USask Engineering alumnae Arliss Sidloski (BE 2025) and Mary-Stewart Torrie (BE 2005) took the stage as masters of ceremonies, representing presenting sponsor Graham. Drawing on their own experiences as students and now professional engineers, they encouraged students to embrace both the challenges and the opportunities ahead.

“The hard hat represents the responsibility we all share - to protect others, to keep society safe and to improve the quality of life for people everywhere,” Dean Michael Bradley emphasized to students. “As USask engineers, we are called to be what the world needs, and no matter your discipline, your work will have a real and lasting impact.”

Each discipline was welcomed by an alum or professional engineer who offered words of wisdom, wit and encouragement. Students then received hard hats in colours unique to their discipline or graduate studies degree, creating a vivid display that filled the hall at Prairieland Park by the end of the ceremony.

The ceremony includes the reading of the Ethics Pledge, a commitment to the values and expectations that will guide students through their studies and into their future careers.

For many, receiving the hard hat and being a part of the 2025 Hard Hat Ceremony was a proud and personal milestone:

• “It was a really big step to see what I can do in the world. [The ceremony showed me the] options I have in the future to make a big difference in the world and [that I can] put myself through a challenge. I can make it through and make the world a better place for everyone.”
• “To me, it means opportunity. Listening to the speeches, it really makes you think of what you can do in the long run and what you can accomplish.”
• “It was a big part of stepping into engineering and deciding this is my future and this is what I want to be.”
• “It felt great to be welcomed into the community and to be a part of engineering.”
• “It meant I’m in the career that I’ve dreamt of.”
• “It was an awesome evening. It meant a lot to see all my friends here and to be proud of what we’ve all done and what we’ve all been through together.”
• “As a second-year engineering student, I felt like it was really welcoming. I was excited to hear about everyone else’s experiences. I feel very grateful and like I’ve accomplished something.”
• “I was part of the Flex-Option with RE-ENGINEERED, so it was really cool to see everyone I did classes with receive their hard hats. It was such a huge milestone and such a great sense of accomplishment to get here.”
• “This hard hat means a lot to me as a second-year student. It tells us the importance of keeping your head up and continuing with the journey.”

The Hard Hat Ceremony continues to grow as a tradition at USask Engineering, honouring both the academic journey and the profession students are preparing to join.

Photographs of the evening can be found on the USask Engineering Flickr page.

 

The 2025 Hard Hat Ceremony was made possible through the support of:

Presenting Sponsor: Graham

Hat Hat Ceremony Sponsors:

• The Engineering Advancement Trust
• The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists (APEGS)

Ethics Pledge Sponsor: Hatch

Discipline Sponsors: West-Can Seal Coating Inc., Okane Consultants, K+S Potash Canada, Women in Mining-Women in Nuclear: Saskatchewan, AtkinsRéalis, Cenovus, Calian Advanced Technologies and Delco Automation