The Class of 2023 was the last cohort of students to enter Mount Allison University before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Astrid Krueger, the 2023 Class Valedictorian, recognizes the considerable changes they navigated over the last four years.

“We had to work harder to maintain the tight-knit community for which Mount A is known and preserve the traditions that contribute to it,” she says. “I think we succeeded in demonstrating our commitment to supporting one another while keeping our community safe.”

The return of familiar events at full capacity this year was particularly meaningful for Krueger.

“Those events were integral to our early days at Mount A, so it felt like we had come full circle.”

Krueger was chosen by her peers to deliver the valedictory address during the Mount Allison Convocation ceremonies on Monday, May 15. Krueger herself will graduate in the afternoon with an honours degree in international relations and minors in political science, history, and philosophy.

“This is a huge honour,” she says. “Every member of the Class of 2023 has contributed in so many ways to our time at Mount Allison, and I feel privileged to have been selected by my classmates to represent them during Convocation.”

From Edmonton, AB, Krueger also won the University’s Frances S. Allison Award, which recognizes a graduating student whose record combines high academic achievement, extensive extracurricular involvement, and outstanding service to their peers and the community. She was involved in various groups and societies throughout her time on campus, including the Mount Allison Student’s Union (MASU), the Argosy, the Mount Allison Model United Nations (MtAUN), and served as president of her residence.

In preparation for the address, Krueger has been speaking with classmates about their experiences.

“What keeps coming up the most is the sense of community that they found here,” she says.

That’s precisely the sentiment she intends to convey at Convocation.

“As we reflect on our time here, I hope we were all able to find community, and I hope we will continue to seek out and create communities wherever we go.”

Krueger plans to move to Toronto next fall to participate in the Ontario Legislative Internship Program and looks forward to exploring her interests outside the classroom.